Orbán: More Room For Manoeuvre Needed For National Economies
Albufeira, June 16 (MTI) – Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Monday called for more room for manoeuvre for EU economies, at the European People’s Party’s parliamentary group meeting in Portugal.
Talking to the Hungarian public media in Albufeira, he said this was one of his main initiatives for the next five years. “If the European Union is faring well, this is possible only because member states are performing better,” he said.
He also said that the EU should take the lead in resolving the crisis in Ukraine. Orbán urged to call an EU-Russia conference to discuss the crisis and to sign an agreement on EU-Russia cooperation over the next 20-25 years.
“We could this way secure Ukraine, Hungary and the whole of Europe’s energy supply,” Orbán said.
He also called for changing the EU’s energy policy, pointing out energy prices as the most important issue from the point of view of Europe’s competitiveness. In order to boost competitiveness, energy prices should be radically cut, Orban said and noted the Hungarian measure of utility fee cuts.
The Hungarian premier said that member states should each play a bigger role in promoting investments and schemes that create new jobs. They should set up schemes that ensure new jobs to the unemployed, he said, pointing out the fostered work programmes Hungary had launched.
Orbán called for “greater courage in touching the regulations of banks” and noted steps Hungary had taken to find solutions to the problem of borrowers holding forex loans.
In his address, the prime minister voiced criticism of European Commission reports on Hungary, which he called politically harmful, and called for “political control” over the country reports.
Orbán held talks on the meeting’s sidelines with Manfred Weber, the group-leader of EPP.
Photo: Prime Minister’s Office – Barna Burger
Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters
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