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.
Orbán said Brussels was determined to ignore the outcome of Hungary’s Vote 2025 survey, but “they won’t be able to sidestep us”. Notwithstanding “their cunning”, it would be “impossible to admit Ukraine against the will of the European people”, he added.
The same was true on the issue of migration, he said, adding that Hungary was isolated at first but now “everyone’s with us without exception”. “The same will be true when it comes to war and peace and Ukrainian membership,” the prime minister said.
Orbán: Brussels wants to instruct Hungarians whom to vote for
Brussels wants to instruct people whom to vote for, Orbán said. “This is true in Hungary’s case, too,” he said. Orbán said Brussels had “no right to tell people whom to vote for, how to live or what position to take on important issues.” “This is an abuse of power,” he added.
He said Brussels bureaucrats thought that massive amounts of money, diplomatic influence, media power and help from “their agents in individual countries” could change the domestic political landscape. Brussels, he added, did not even hide its interests in parliamentary elections in member states.
The prime minister said that some people in Hungary considered that “insulting other people is okay”, but ridiculing the votes and opinions of 2.3 million people “isn’t right”, he added, referring to the results of the government’s Vote 2025 public survey.
Not even the opposition Tisza party “or any talented musician who calls the ruling parties and the people participating in the survey pro-government can do this,” Orbán said. “This isn’t how we can talk to each other,” he said.
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