Struggling to buy a home in Hungary? Orbán says help is coming this September

The government wants to help young people with the 3pc fixed-interest Home Start scheme launching in September, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in a weekly interview with public radio on Friday. Below, you can read all the topics he talked about during the interview.

Orbán noted that in Hungary, some 80% of people 40 years or older live in properties they own, but this rate is only 40% for those below 40. It is difficult for young people to get their own home, we want to help them, “now the field belongs to the young people”, he said.

The government is offering 3% subsidised loans up to HUF 50m with maturity capped at 25 years and down payment share at 10% to buy first homes without restrictions based on location or the applicant’s age.

Orbán noted that in an annual speech reviewing the year, he presented a plan for what the government would implement this year. They hoped there would be peace, but it didn’t happen, so the situation is not easy but “we will do everything we undertook at the beginning of the year,” he said.

Orbán: ‘Brussels would sacrifice Hungarians’ financial situation’

Brussels “wants to sacrifice the financial situation of Hungarian families for the sake of Ukraine”, Orbán said.

Asked to comment on European Union sanctions on the import or Russian energy, Orbán said EU leaders could not give a reason “why any sane person would do such a thing”. He said the sanctions would lead to families having to pay 2.5 times as much for electricity and 3.5 times more for gas, forcing the government to “completely rethink the family support system”.

“If high utility prices eat up all our money and savings … families would have to give up all their plans for next year, like buying a new car, a bigger apartment, and they’d be happy if they have enough to pay their utility bills,” Orbán said.

Orbán: EC wrong to think vital decision that affects Europe’s future can be made without the people

Ukrainian EU membership “won’t happen”, Orbán said. “The European Commission thinks a vital decision determining the fate of the whole of Europe can be made without the European people, but it is mistaken,” he said.