Politics

Trade neutrality as an EU member? Fidesz launches ‘National Consultation’ on economic issues

Mate Kocsis, the ruling party’s group leader, said on Monday that Fidesz proposes holding a “National Consultation” public survey on “trade neutrality, support for small and medium-sized enterprises, wage increases, employee loans, as well as housing and family support.”

Given the economic upheavals following the pandemic and the war, new economic solutions were needed to put the country back on the right track, he said during a break of the two-day Fidesz-Christian Democrat group meeting in Esztergom, in northern Hungary.

Hungary’s economic outlook “is good”, he said, adding that the proposed new measures would further strengthen the economy and people’s prosperity.

At the same time, “the European leadership is waging a trade cold war,” isolating itself from the East’s economies, he said, adding that “Hungarian neutrality” was best served by openness towards both East and West and that it should break off trade ties neither with the West nor the East.

Kocsis said Fidesz believed in the government’s policy outlook, but it always sought the public’s views on sensitive issues.

Kocsis said the public must have a say on whether they concur with “the economic isolation represented by the Brussels leadership” or whether they want to maintain “free-flowing Eastern and Western commercial and economic pathways.”

They should also be asked about support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the government’s key aim of helping SMEs gain access to capital and new financial instruments.

Also, one of the questions concerns a wage rise, which requires a new deal with employers. He also proposed raising the minimum wage to 400,000 forints (EUR 1,000) and the average wage to 1 million forints “within the foreseeable future”—which he called a “realistic goal.”

Meanwhile, the questionnaire will canvass views on whether young people taking up a job should receive an interest-free loan for whatever purpose they see fit.

The government wants create affordable new places of residence such as dormitories and to help young people buy their first home using state-subsidised loans with very low interest rates. This will also be contained in the survey, he said.

Further, a question about family support will be included, Kocsis said, adding that not only did the Hungarian right and left disagree on this, but the government and the European Commission were also at loggerheads over the issue.

The government wants to double the family tax allowance and other types of family support “may also be discussed”.

Kocsis said the government could consider the party group’s proposal at its meeting this week.

He said the proposed measures were unlikely to be met with “a roar of applause” in Brussels, so it was necessary to get solid backing for them from Hungarian citizens.

October 14, 2024

Hungary draws red line: firmly opposes sending EU military advisers to Ukraine

Hungary stands firmly against “the extremely dangerous proposal” to send EU military advisers to Ukraine, Péter Szijjártó said on Monday in Luxembourg.

Not to help Ukraine

This is a Hungarian red line, he told a press conference after a meeting of the European Union Foreign Affairs Council, adding that pressure to expand the mandate of the EU military training mission in Ukraine was strong.

“When the European Union started training Ukrainian soldiers, we constructively abstained, signalling our disagreement,” he said, arguing the plan was “dangerous” in view of the risk of escalation and deepening the conflict between the EU and Russia. He noted that Hungary had not prevented others doing so, however.

“But now they are calling for the European Union to delegate military advisers to Kyiv as part of this operation. Well, this goes beyond [our] red lines,” he said.

related article: Hungarian Foreign Minister says Russia’s 2021 security proposals to end Hungary’s NATO membership acceptable? Ria Novosti interview and denial – VIDEO

Now is the time for a pro-peace outlook to replace pro-war policy

The time has come to pursue a pro-peace policy instead of a pro-war approach, now that there is a general recognition in Brussels that Ukraine is beset by problems such as the risk of further escalation, the approaching winter and sanctions evasions, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, told a press conference after a meeting of the European Union Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg on Monday.

Szijjártó said much of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure had been destroyed as winter approached, more and more European companies were evading sanctions with the help of third countries, and fighting on the frontline was intensifying.

He said the pro-war approach had been tried for “a thousand days” and had failed, and now the pro-peace approach should be given a chance to succeed.

Brussels, meanwhile, wanted additional weapons shipments and new punitive measures. It even advocated using Western weapons against targets in Russia, he added.

Szijjártó decried those who saw champions of peace as a threat.

“Some argue that starting peace negotiations now would not be good when Ukraine is not doing well. Well, if Ukraine isn’t doing well, doesn’t this prove what we [advocate]?”

Meanwhile, asked about recent remarks made by Donald Trump concerning risk of escalation in Ukraine, he said the former president had been “absolutely right” that a confrontation between NATO and Russia was “growing every hour and minute of the day”.

A third world war, he added, could be prevented if the war in Ukraine was brought to an end. “That’s why we’re waiting until the American presidential election in a few weeks, because we think that the victory” of Trump would result in “change in international political life that will bring with it a greater hope for peace than ever before,” he said.

The minister added that in the absence of a new Trump administration, “we would have to prepare for a very difficult period in Europe and in central Europe. ”

Meanwhile, Szijjártó said the Friends of Peace international group established within the United Nations had drawn heavy criticism at the meeting, but Hungary continued to strongly back the initiative.

“I had expected there would be ad-hominem criticism,” he said, noting that Hungary was not the only EU member state to have attended the inaugural meeting in New York as France had also participated. “The French needed courage for this, and it’s apparent that more people couldn’t muster it up”.

Afterwards, criticism of Friends of Peace broadened and some even favoured attacking the group. However, he said Hungary still strongly supported its establishment at the UN and was ready to participate in its joint work.

He said the group’s statement backing territorial integrity, sovereignty, and the UN Charter “should be respected” and that it righted the criticisms that “our European friends have previously cataloged.”

Szijjártó also said pressure had again mounted to pay six billion euros from the European Peace Framework to EU member states supplying weapons to Ukraine, and Hungary strongly opposed the move.

But he welcomed a proposal by the EU’s foreign policy chief to make this voluntary, saying that Hungary has long argued that no one should be forced into an initiative they do not wish to participate in.

The minister said he had signalled Hungary’s support for the transition to voluntary funds. He added that Hungary could no longer be blamed for any lack of payments from the European Peace Framework.

As we wrote today, the Hungarian foreign minister condemned Kamala Harris for labeling Orbán an autocratic dictator. Details are HERE.

October 14, 2024

Sovereignty Protection Office: Transparency International Hungary activity harmful for country

The Sovereignty Protection Office said on Monday that the Transparency International Hungary Foundation (TIM) carries out activities that are harmful to Hungary, stigmatising the country and state institutions and exerting influence based on disinformation.

The office on June 18, 2024, launched a one-off, comprehensive inquiry into the activities of TIM and found that the assessment of the organisation’s financing, activities, and network of relations proved that it carries out political pressure activities as part of a global lobbying network operating for over thirty years, along the interests of the extensive powers that stand behind the network, a statement said. The World Bank founded the TI network to represent US interests and fulfill its strategic goals.

TIM performs its activities with the involvement of foreign state funding, it said. The main financers of the international network operating the organisation are states that have the largest voting power in the World Bank and the European Commission. Also among significant supporters is the Open Society Foundation linked to US businessman George Soros, it added. More than 80 percent of the organisation’s operations are financed from foreign sources.

The terms “transparency” and “anti-corruption” used to shape public opinion by the international network that stands behind TIM do not serve the clarity of public life and balanced competition between market players but are tools to enforce US economic and political interests, the statement said. The organisation performs activities that are harmful to Hungary, stigmatises the country and state institutions and exerts influence based on disinformation by monopolising these terms.

The primary tool of the organisation is a corruption perceptions index prepared in the Berlin center, which the organisations financing and/or cooperating with TI, and TI itself, can use “manipulatively” to serve their interests best, the Sovereignty Protection Office said. The report prepared by the office shows that the corruption perceptions index and its utilisation possesses all formal characteristics of disinformation, and can be considered disinformation “because it is capable of presenting untrue statements as the truth”, it added.

The methodology of the corruption perceptions index is “manipulative”, making the index capable of influencing the international assessment of countries, it said. It added that TIM attempts to paint an unfavourable picture of Hungary and Hungarian state administration organisations by communicating this index. “The TIM’s shadow reports containing disinformation prepared for the European Commission cause real political, economic and social damage to Hungary,” the office said.

The “shadow reports” methodology is kept hidden from Hungarian society. At the same time, the “disinformation campaign” built on them attempts to restrict Hungary’s ability to enforce its political and economic interests internationally, the statement said. The “shadow reports” supplied by TIM to accompany rule-of-law reports are suitable for influencing domestic democratic competition, it added.

The Sovereignty Protection Office also said that TIM had refused to cooperate right from the start during the inquiry. “Despite this, based on the analysis of information revealed and an assessment of correlations, the office concluded that the organisation’s operations are not transparent,” it added.

Transparency International Hungary response

As the TIM official site said, Transparency International Hungary’s response in July to the Sovereignty Protection Office inquiry can be found here. The complaint to the Constitutional Court is available here, and the investigation with 62 questions is accessible here.

read also – US presidential elections: Ambassador Pressman slams PM Orbán, says he does not have a B plan and is cozy with Putin

October 14, 2024

Hungarian Foreign Minister says Russia’s 2021 security proposals to end Hungary’s NATO membership acceptable? Ria Novosti interview and denial – VIDEO

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó’s comments to the Russian state media have caused a significant stir. According to RIA Novosti, a Russian state news agency with close ties to the Hungarian government, Szijjártó suggested that Russia’s 2021 security proposals should have been negotiated by NATO, implying that Hungary’s NATO membership could have been reconsidered.

Máté Paczolay, spokesperson for the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, responded in an interview with Telex, following the report by RIA Novosti.

Paczolay firmly rejected this interpretation, clarifying the foreign minister’s remarks. His response came after Telex enquired about the RIA Novosti article, which quoted Szijjártó as stating that NATO should have engaged with Russia’s proposed security guarantees before the conflict escalated. Although Paczolay did not explicitly mention RIA Novosti, it was clear he was referring to the Russian outlet.

The controversy stems from an interview Szijjártó gave to the Russian news agency. In the interview, he stated that war might have been avoided if NATO had engaged with Russia’s draft 2021 agreement on security guarantees before the situation deteriorated. He commented:

“I remember those days well. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen. Nearly three years have passed since then, and perhaps it’s no longer relevant, but I do wish those discussions had taken place. If they had, maybe we wouldn’t be in this situation now.”

At that time, Russian President Vladimir Putin had proposed a deal to the United States, which included NATO rolling back its infrastructure to pre-1997 levels and ensuring Ukraine would never join the alliance. In return, Putin claimed he would refrain from invading Ukraine. If accepted, this proposal would have meant that Hungary, which joined NATO in 1999, would not have hosted NATO forces or weapons.

In his interview, Szijjártó expressed regret that NATO did not engage with Putin’s demands, which many viewed as unreasonable and unrealistic. Had they been accepted, it would have left Hungary more vulnerable.

However, Paczolay clarified that Szijjártó’s remarks were not specifically about Russia’s 2021 security guarantees. Instead, he was referring to the pre-war period, suggesting that “real dialogue and genuine negotiations between the parties could have created an opportunity to avoid war.” Paczolay also stressed that Russia’s 2021 proposals are irrelevant in the current context.

Márton Tompos, an opposition politician from the Momentum party, strongly criticised the foreign minister’s remarks, writing:

The Hungarian foreign minister is a Russian agent. The Hungarian Foreign Ministry serves Russian interests. Hungarian NATO membership is in danger. There is nowhere to retreat. If you vote for Fidesz, you vote for Putin. Péter Szijjártó, get out of public life!

This incident marks the second time in recent weeks that the Hungarian government has faced backlash over its perceived closeness to Russia. Viktor Orbán’s strategist, Balázs Orbán, recently caused controversy by suggesting that President Zelensky should not have defended Ukraine so fiercely during the Russian invasion, claiming that the Hungarian government would not have acted similarly.

Details here: Official of Orbán cabinet says they would NOT have defended Hungary in case of a Russian invasion – UPDATED with PM Orbán’s reaction

As we wrote earlier today, the Hungarian Foreign Minister sent a strong message to America via the Russian state press, condemning Kamala Harris for calling Orbán an autocratic dictator. Read details HERE.

October 14, 2024

Hungarian foreign minister condemns Kamala Harris for labeling Orbán an autocratic dictator

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó has strongly criticised US Vice President Kamala Harris for her comments regarding Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Speaking to the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, Szijjártó expressed his indignation:

“First of all, this is outrageous. It’s unacceptable to speak about my Prime Minister in such a manner. It shows a complete lack of respect for him and the Hungarian people,” he said.

During an interview on Wednesday, Kamala Harris, a Democratic presidential candidate, was asked about Donald Trump’s relationships with various world leaders, including President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un. In response, Kamala Harris described them as:

“Dictators, autocrats, and people who could rightly be called killers.”

For several days, the Hungarian government refrained from officially responding to the remarks. This delay was in part due to Szijjártó’s busy schedule, as he was visiting Russia for the 11th time since the outbreak of the war, attending the International Gas Forum. Related article: Cooperation with Russian Gazprom ensures supply and great price for Hungary, foreign minister says in Russia

However, Szijjártó has now addressed the issue.

“We have always shown respect towards the American people and expect the same respect in return. Such statements reflect an utter lack of respect, which is unacceptable, especially between allies,” Szijjártó told RIA Novosti.

When asked whether Harris’s comments would affect Hungarian-American relations, Szijjártó warned that if she were to become the next president, it would not bode well for the future of bilateral relations.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, along with Minister Szijjártó and the rest of the Orbán government, offered their full support to Donald Trump both during and before his campaign, prompting accusations of the Hungarian government interfering in the US election. Despite this, the Orbán administration frequently cautions other countries against meddling in Hungary’s internal affairs. It is also noteworthy that while the Hungarian government deems it crucial to maintain ties with Putin due to Russia’s global influence, the Biden administration, one of the world’s most powerful governments, has repeatedly clashed with and openly criticised the US President.

You can watch the Kamala Harris interview here:

October 14, 2024

Magyar: Hungary heading towards demographic catastrophe

Hungary is heading towards a demographic catastrophe if nothing changes, the head of the opposition Tisza party said on Monday.

In a statement, Péter Magyar asked: “If Hungary indeed has a family-friendly government, why is it that this year saw the lowest number of births in the last sixty years?”

“Why are they closing down maternity wards in the countryside? … Why are they destroying education? … Why is every other young person thinking about leaving their country? Why has the government not built any homes available for rent over the past 14 years?… Why don’t single parents and families raising sick children receive real support? Why is the family allowance 12,000 forints (EUR 30) since 2008?” Magyar added.

He said the main priority of the Tisza government would be to revitalise health care and education, as well as “to offer real support to Hungarian families”, with a significant increase in the family allowance, offering income tax exemption to mothers with three children, developing a child and family-friendly support system and building a significant number of rental homes.

Holes in the EU budget are increasingly visible, Orbán government believes

Wednesday’s session of the European Parliament “started out as a debate about the Hungarian presidency but turned into a nomination meeting,” Csaba Dömötör, an MEP of ruling Fidesz, told public radio on Sunday.

“The election is still a long way off, but the Brussels elite have already indicated that they want a different government in Hungary, one that aligns better with the liberal mainstream, one that is willing to support the war and does not insist on border protection,” Dömötör said.

He added that MEP Péter Magyar, president of the Tisza party, “showed his appreciation by applauding and denouncing his own country” in front of the plenary session of the European Parliament.

Dömötör said it was an important lesson from the debate that the Brussels elite was not willing to talk about the signs of the crisis in public, even though European competitiveness was weakening, the economy stagnating and the Schengen agreement “is collapsing before our eyes”, they did not want to discuss this because it would be revealed that their decisions had led here.

“They would give another 35 billion euros for the Ukraine war even though the holes in the EU budget are increasingly visible, and the instalments of a major loan taken out earlier must also be repaid. The EU has been financing the war for two years, and it is not yet clear where it will end, or who will take responsibility for it,” he said.

Dömötör said the key leaders of the European Union did not even give the most basic respect to Hungary. This has been the tone since the Fidesz-KDNP government took office, he added.

Another lesson was that Hungary was being lectured about democracy by those who were stifling it, trying to squeeze the Patriots for Europe group out of the European parliament’s decision-making, Dömötör said.

Read also:

Orbán cabinet will continue to block EUR 45 billion loan scheme for Ukraine until the US elections – read more HERE
PM Orbán in the ‘lion’s den’: can he convince the European Parliament that he wasn’t a traitor? – details in THIS article

October 14, 2024

PM Orbán announced big plans concerning Hungarian economy today, says he is ready to fight

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced a new economic programme at a meeting of Fidesz’s parliamentary group focusing on affordable housing, a one million forint income, subsidised loans for workers and capital injections for SMEs, the daily Magyar Nemzet said on Sunday.

Orbán’s speech, held at a closed meeting at the start of the parliamentary session in Esztergom, in northern Hungary, focused on economic policy and the new economic programme, the paper said. The meeting had been postponed from an earlier date due to the floods, the paper said.

Economic neutrality will bring a turnaround from 2025, and the goverment is working to achieve economic growth exceeding the European Union average, he said.

Orbán said the pandemic and the war in Ukraine had brought changes in the world, and the East was on the rise, while the West was declining. Brussels and the western world had responded by announcing an “economic cold war”, he said. That is harmful for Hungary, and the country is striving to stay out of the cold war, he added.

Orbán said the way to success was economic neutrality. Hungary needed an economic growth beyond the EU average, and that was only possible by maintaining neutrality, he said. That way, the government will be able to raise growth to between 3 and 6 percent, and so will steer Hungary towards stronger growth as soon as 2025, he said.

orbán brussels — Photo: MTI/Miniszterelnöki Sajtóiroda/Benko Vivien Cher

The new economic policy will require an agreement between economic players, the Chamber of Commerce, interest groups and employee’s organisations, because “the government does not want to decide above their heads”, he said.

The government is also aiming to achieve a new, multi-year agreement between employers and employees on growth-linked wage hikes, he said. Such an agreement would prepare a reliable path to achieve the 1,000 euro minimum wage and the 1,000,000 forint average wage, he said.

Orbán talks about zero-interest loans

Meanwhile, the government would also like to “double the size of export-ready SMEs”, which would involve capital injections and a new action plan, to be called the Demján Sándor plan, Orbán said.

Regarding a loan programme for workers, Orbán said skilled workforce had a crucial role in the economy, besides degree holders, and so young workers would receive zero-interest loans from 2025, similarly to student loans, he said.

War-related inflation and the energy crisis have raised real estate prices in Hungary and Europe, he said. In order to make housing affordable in Hungary, “because Hungarians believe primarily in owning their apartments and houses”, the government must double the volume of housing construction and push mortgage interests below 5 percent, he said.

Assessing the political situation, Orbán said Wednesday’s European parliamentary debate had shown that “nothing has changed in Brussels”. “You can only be the good guy there if you support the continuation of war uncritically, accept Brussels’s migration policy and open the doors to LGBTQ propaganda.”

Europe had not given up the aim to “force migrants on Hungary and turn it into an uncritical supporter of war”, he said. At the same time, “they know they will never achieve that with the national government, and now they are looking for new vassals besides their old ones, then come rolling dollars and euros, they will lift their intended on their shoulder and promise him impunity,” he said.

“Promises of impunity from Brussels always come with a hefty price tag, and Brusselites like to make Hungarians pay that price,” Orbán said.

Besides the support of migration and war, Brussels also expects Hungary to scrap utility price caps and the 13th month pension, to improve the position of multinational corporations as against Hungarian companies, to raise the PIT and to introduce a property tax, Orbán said.

“I am ready to fight, we shall win,” he concluded.

Read also:

Serbian Deputy PM Vulin: assassination plot is being prepared against PM Orbán – read more HERE
Good news for guest workers: minister says Hungary needs them!

October 13, 2024

Hungary proud of its winemaking heritage

Hungary is committed to preserving its heritage in viticulture and winemaking, Agriculture Minister István Nagy said in Dijon on Sunday, at a conference marking the 100th anniversary of the International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV).

Nagy said Hungary was proud to have been one of the 8 founding countries of the organisation.

OIV will have a large role in tackling the challenges of the sector, and its 2025-2029 Strategic Plan may be a good foundation for that work, Nagy said.

In the past 3-4 years, “we’ve all had first-hand experience of the adverse effects of extreme weather,” Nagy said. R+I activity should be increased in order to support adaptation to climate change, as should be its funding, he said. The goal is to introduce new species and to cut the use of chemicals, he said.

Read also:

Changing trends: Can alcohol in Hungary still be considered cheap? – read more HERE
Hungarian wineries won gold, silver at CSWWC Championships: here are the 4+1 best!

October 13, 2024

Serbian Deputy PM Vulin: assassination plot is being prepared against PM Orbán

The Serbian and Russian media wrote about Serbian interior minister and deputy prime minister Aleksandar Vulin’s claims about an assassination plot against PM Viktor Orbán. Vulin said the reason why a criminal group planned to kill the Hungarian prime minister was Orbán’s pro-peace stance. Meanwhile, Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s foreign minister, has not heard about any assassination attempts.

According to Blikk, a Hungarian tabloid, Vulin talked about previous assassination attempts against Slovak PM Robert Fico and US presidential candidate Donald Trump. He also mentioned the murder of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on 19 May.

Donald Trump Viktor Orbán assassination plot — A shooter tried to bring down former president Trump in July. Photo: FB/OrbánViktor

He said that they were informed about an assassination plot against PM Orbán, which is under preparation by criminal groups. Vulin is Serbia’s interior minister, so he has the means to acquire such information.

FM Szijjártó’s answer about a possible assassination plot against Orbán

Anyway, Serbian and Russian media started to publish articles about his claims. Vulin believes the reason for the possible assassination is PM Orbán’s pro-peace stance. Before, he talked about an assassination plot against Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, saying that the Europol informed him about that.

Viktor Orbán Aleksandar Vucic — Orbán and Vucic at the funeral of István Pásztor, the former leader of the Hungarians living in Serbia. Photo: FB/Viktor Orbán

Péter Szijjártó told Ria Novosty, the Russian state news agency, that he had not heard about such attempts. He added that the government, the prime minister and the country are continuously under legal, financial, and political attacks.

Read also:

Orbán: Brussels wants to topple the Hungarian government
Válasz Online: Hungary’s strongest allies view PM Orbán as a traitor

October 13, 2024

Good news for guest workers: minister says Hungary needs them!

The Hungarian government announced an ambitious economic and wage growth plan to reach a HUF 1 million average wage and EUR 1,000 minimum wage by 2028. Márton Nagy, Hungary’s national economy minister, said the realisation needs guest workers because the Hungarian job market is tight.

Anti-migration and anti-guest worker campaign

The Hungarian government initiated a large-scale campaign against illegal migration in 2015. They said that migrants could not take the jobs of the Hungarians. The communication strategy was beneficial. The migration crisis is still present in Hungary and Europe. Orbán’s position (and the related smear campaign) gained at least one supermajority in the 2018 general elections.

Government communication has undergone multiple fine-tuning since then. Illegal migrants are still red flags for the Orbán cabinet. Therefore, they threaten Brussels to take illegal migrants to Brussels by bus if the European Union does not stop slamming and fining Hungary for protecting its Southern borders against the illegal influx.

bence rétvári brussels migrants buses — Bence Rétvári, the secretary of state of the Interior Ministry, held a press conference on the issue in front of some buses. Photo: Facebook/Rétvári Bence

Number of guest workers rising in Hungary

On the other hand, an increasing number of guest workers are occupying vacant positions in more and more sectors. Furthermore, some Chinese investments come to Hungary only if they can bring their workers to ease unemployment at home.

Moreover, the number of Hungarians working abroad for higher wages or jobs creating more added value is growing. As a result, the Orbán cabinet made it easier for Filippino, Vietnamese, Krygyz and other Asian guest workers to come to Hungary and generate GDP here. In June, their number exceeded a psychological barrier. According to the statistics of the Hungarian National Bank, 100,000 guest workers were in Hungary, with 20,000 Ukrainians among them.

guest worker workers guest workers in Hungary — Photo: depositphotos.com

The tight Hungarian job market needs guest workers

Márton Nagy, Hungary’s national economy minister, talked about the tight Hungarian labour market in an award ceremony this week. He said Hungary was Europe’s 7th country concerning employment rate with 81%. Their aim is 85%, which would mean 2nd place following Sweden by 2030.

He said the tight Hungarian labour market needed guest workers, who could be here for 2+1 years. Meanwhile, the government would like to spend more on retraining and mobilising the inactive and unemployed.

Ambitious wage rise project

The minister said that the Hungarian government wants the average wage to reach HUF 1 million (EUR 2,500) and the minimum wage to rise to EUR 1,000 by 2028. He said those plans could be realised if economic growth reaches 3-4%. He added the wage convergence programme should be responsible and follow the country’s economic growth.

Worker Factory Job — *Can the government programs mobilise the inactive? Photo: Facebook.com/szijjarto.peter.official*

Apart from the wage convergence programme and inviting more guest workers to Hungary, the Orbán cabinet would like to provide affordable housing for locals and help the SME sector scale up.

Read also:

Will employment of guest workers in Hungary face further restrictions soon? – read more HERE
Experts worried that PM Orbán’s brutal wage rise will bring inflation and a HUF 500/EUR exchange rate

October 13, 2024

Incredible fine imposed for calling PM Orbán and his cabinet traitors

Speaker of Parliament László Kövér has fined Democratic Coalition head Ferenc Gyurcsány over 14 million forints (EUR 34,900), the party said on Saturday.

Last week, Gyurcsány told parliament that “Hungary today has a traitor government and prime minister”. After Kövér reprimanded him, Gyurcsány said “the House Speaker is behaving like the worst [Communist] party secretary”, and the Speaker withdrew his right to speak further, the party said.

Gyurcsány also said that Kövér had been abusing his power by restricting lawmakers’ freedom of speech.

Gyurcsány said he had expressed his opinion “very calmly”. “According to Kövér, that costs 14 million.”

DK is planning to go “as far as Strasbourg”, Gyurcsány added.

Read also:

Hungarian PM Orbán blackmailed by Putin? – read more HERE
Counter-protester interrupts start of Viktor Orbán’s press conference in Strasbourg – details and video in THIS article

October 13, 2024

Will the Hungarian Parliament accept a package of anti-corruption laws?

Hungarian Parliament anti-corruption laws

The opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) will on Monday submit a package of anti-corruption laws to enforce the fulfilment of promises the government has made to the European Commission, the party’s leader said.

Ferenc Gyurcsány told a press conference streamed also online on Friday that Hungary was not getting some 8,000 billion forints (EUR 20bn) worth of funding from the EU as a result of a years-long dispute going on between the European Commission, the European Parliament, the European Council, and the Hungarian government.

Part of this money, some 400-600 billion forints, could be lost for good within two and a half months when the deadline expires after which “it is not possible anymore to discuss under what conditions the money could arrive”, Gyurcsány said. Additionally, there is a daily fine Hungary must pay, meaning “we paid 400 million yesterday, we are paying 400 million today and will pay another 400 million tomorrow,” he said.

Gyurcsány DK anti-corruption laws — Ferenc Gyurcsány in the Hungarian Parliament. Photo: MTI

He said the government had earlier promised to the EC to fulfil 27 “milestones” that would solve this problem, 24 of which it failed to fulfil.

Here are the proposals

As a result, DK will submit its proposals, including the introduction of a “corruption fee” payable by the leaders and “real” owners of companies that had caused Hungary’s getting fined. Additionally, DK proposes that “the central budget cut ties with institutions and companies that directly or indirectly take taxpayers’ money to tax havens,” Gyurcsány said.

DK also proposes that regardless of whether Hungary becomes a member of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office or not, “the extent and depth of cooperation should be the same as if it was a member”.

Read also:

DK member counter-protester interrupts start of Viktor Orbán’s press conference in Strasbourg – read more and watch the video HERE
Hungarian PM Orbán blackmailed by Putin? – details HERE

October 13, 2024

PHOTOS: Hungarian National Kayak-Canoe Academy opened near Lake Velence

“Hungary has to keep up with the world’s best not only on the track and in the water, but also in preparation and in the quality of the sports facilities,” Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said at the opening of the Kovács Katalin National Kayak-Canoe Academy in Sukoró, in central Hungary, on Saturday.

“Hungarians have a special relationship with aquatic sports,” Orbán said. Even though Hungary is a landlocked country, water polo, swimming and kayaking have always been the flagships of Hungarian elite sports, he said.

The prime minister praised Katalin Kovács, 31-time world champion canoe sprinter, who competed in four Olympic games and won three gold and five silver medals. He said her example showed that community and personal ambition were the two main drivers of success.

Orbán said athletes knew that community gave them strength and endurance. Values such as trust, perseverance and camaraderie can be best learned from sports, he added.

He said the other prerequisite for a nation’s success was ambition, that we should not be satisfied with what was just good enough. These are skills that Hungary will greatly need in the period ahead, he said.

Kovács Katalin National Kayak-Canoe Academy supported by the Orbán government

The past 35 years were a fundamentally peaceful era when it was possible to achieve success with simple life strategies and slightly better than average performance, but in the future, more will be required, the prime minister said.

Hungary will need people who can always “raise the bar,” Orbán said. This is why the Hungarian government invests in sports and creates sports academies such as the Kovács Katalin National Kayak-Canoe Academy, Orbán said.

Here is his video:

HERE is the academy’s Youtube page.

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October 13, 2024

PHOTOS: The Hungarian President in Auschwitz

President Tamás Sulyok commemorated the victims of the Holocaust at a visit at the Auschwitz memorial site and museum on Saturday.

Sulyok laid a wreath at the “Death Wall”, where thousands of people were executed by firing squad during the second world war. He lit a candle in commemoration of the Hungarian victims of the holocaust in Camp 1, and at the Hungarian-language plaque at Camp 2.

In the guest book, Sulyok wrote: “I came because all Hungarians should come here once, so they can see what human evil can do. We can’t forget or replace the lives destroyed here. Many of them were my compatriots, one of us. Walking among the barracks, I feel that pain or sadness is not enough. We need a determined commitment to good and against evil. We can’t let any more people be taken away from us.”

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October 13, 2024

Hungary has “increasingly close” ties with this authoritarian Asian country, says minister

Ties between Hungary and Kyrgyzstan have become increasingly close since Hungary started building relations with the fast developing central Asian region in good time, and has benefitted a lot from it already, Péter Szijjártó, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, said on Friday.

The ministry cited Szijjártó as saying on the occasion of the Kyrgyz president’s visit to Hungary that trade turnover between the two countries was record high last year, and had significantly grown this year.

Hungarian companies are increasingly successful in the Kyrgyzstan market, including in the areas of the health industry and pharmaceuticals, food processing and the sowing seed sector, he said.

He welcomed the fact that a Kyrgyz-Hungarian development fund set up with 16 million dollars two years ago had successfully financed two joint investment projects in the machine industry and animal farming, adding that a hydropower investment project was currently being planned.

He said Hungary highly appreciated Kyrgyzstan’s role in the global fight against terrorism, and supported Kyrgyzstan’s application for non-permanent membership in the UN Security Council.

Szijjártó also said that both countries belonged to the global pro-peace majority as regards the war in Ukraine.

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Orbán cabinet will continue to block EUR 45 billion loan scheme for Ukraine until the US elections

Orbán cabinet may continue to block EUR 45 billion loan scheme for Ukraine until the US elections safety

A lot depends on who will win the election in the United States this November. PM Viktor Orbán and his government attached Hungary’s fate to Trump’s victory, which is strange in our history. If Trump wins, Orbán will triumph not only in Hungary but also in Europe. And it seems the Orbán cabinet will practically boycott a huge EU loan for Ukraine until the election results arrive.

Hungary regularly votes against EU decisions

According to Euronews, Hungary confirmed that it would not decide about the basis of a EUR 45 billion loan for Ukraine until the 5 November presidential elections in the United States. The loan would be covered by the unexpected profit of the Russian central bank’s frozen assets, so the loan’s basis is not the European taxpayers’ money. That basis would be completed with US, Japanese, and Canadian financial sources to reach EUR 45 billion.

The United States is concerned about the ambitious plan’s long-term sustainability. That is because all EU member states must renew the anti-Russia sanctions every six months. If a member state vetoes or liberates that financial background, the entire project freezes.

The weakest link is Hungary in that regard. The Orbán cabinet regularly uses its veto right in the European Council. For example, they exempted Patriarch Kirill, one of the strongest religious supporters of Putin’s war in Ukraine, from sanctions. Euronews writes that Hungary uses its veto to favour the Orbán cabinet’s and even Putin’s interests.

Orbán cabinet may continue to block EUR 45 billion loan scheme for Ukraine until the US elections — Pjhoto: FB/Orbán

Hungary gave the green light for the loan scheme this week

To dispel the doubts of Washington, Brussels proposed to increase the anti-Putin sanctions’ renewal time from 6 months to 36 months, so the program’s stability could be granted.

All EU member states were in a rush to accept the loan scheme as soon as possible. The efforts were successful. As we wrote in THIS article, on Wednesday, the Council of Europe agreed on the financial aid package for Ukraine. Since Hungary is the President of the EU, currently, the agreement was reached under Hungary’s leadership.

Council of the European Union mihály varga ukraine loan — The announcement of the decision. Photo: MTI/Bodnár Boglárka

No decision about the prolongation of the sanctions until 5 November

However, the big question was not the acceptance of Ukraine’s theoretic help, but to solidify the financial leg of it. And in that regard, no steps have been taken forward yet.

Euronews said the Orbán cabinet would decide about the prolongation of the sanctions only after the American presidential election. The acceptance of the loan scheme needed only a qualified majority in the Council of Europe. However, the loan’s fundament is the frozen assets of the Russian central bank. Those financial assets can only remain frozen if Hungary votes for them because the decision needs unanimity.

The Hungarian government still believes that decision can wait until 5 November, Mihály Varga, Hungary’s finance minister, made it clear this week in Luxembourg. Without deciding on the sanctions, the money support programme for Ukraine cannot start.

Orbán says President Trump will end the war in Ukraine Orbán cabinet — Photo: FB/Orbán

Varga believes the two presidential candidates represent two opposing scenarios concerning the war in Ukraine. Trump would seek peace while Kamala Harris would continue to support Ukraine’s war efforts.

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October 12, 2024

Staggering poll results: only 3% between Orbán’s Fidesz and the Tisza Party of Péter Magyar

Péter Magyar, the leader of the opposition Tisza Party, has rejected the accusation that his party was pro-war, arguing that Tisza was working to achieve peace in Ukraine and opposed weapons deliveries to the country.

In a statement on Friday, Magyar said his party had delivered humanitarian aid to a children’s hospital in Kyiv that had been bombed, while Prime Minister Viktor Orbán “did not even condemn the attack”. Meanwhile, he said, ruling Fidesz was sending Hungarian troops to civil war-torn Chad and building weapons, ammunition and tank factories “which would really be profitable in the event of a war”.

Magyar said recent polls had forced the prime minister “to say the name of the Tisza Party and its leader out loud for the first time” in his Friday morning radio interview. Based on Závecz, the difference between the Fidesz and the Tisza is only 3%, 300,000 votes. He accused Orbán of “lying” and “rambling” about an alliance between Tisza and the leftist Democratic Coalition, “when we have been working on closing the book on the Orbán -[DK leader Ferenc] Gyurcsány era from the beginning”.

Péter Magyar after the municipal assembly session — Péter Magyar after the firts session of the new Budapest City Council. Photo: MTI

Orbán lied

Magyar said Orbán had “lied” about a plan to topple the government from the outside, adding that his party had always stressed its rejection of any outside influence. “We will replace the Orbán government here, at home, with the unity of millions of Hungarians,” he said.

“Orbán also falsely claimed that Tisza would let in illegal migrants, when it was in the European Parliament that I last told him that we support a strict and consistent migration policy and keeping the southern border fence,” Magyar said.

The Tisza Party leader accused the government of having released 2,000 people smugglers from prisons, conducting dealings in residency bonds, “secretly building” a migrant camp near the western border, and bringing 60,000 “economic migrants” a year to Hungary.

“Orbán also claimed that they are the only ones protecting families,” he said. “But the reality is that while Fidesz pretends to be family-friendly, they have not raised the family allowance since 2008, they have abandoned families to the European record inflation rate they helped generate, introduced brutal energy price increases, are closing maternity wards outside the capital, are not doing anything to resolve the crisis of the health-care sector, and have gutted education.”

Birth rate at all-time-low

Magyar said this had forced almost a million Hungarians to try to make a living abroad, and the birth rate was at an all-time low. He insisted that Fidesz was “going downhill” and had “nothing left but a tsunami of lies, hate-mongering and appalling smear campaigns”. Magyar said the Tisza Party “will not stoop to Fidesz’s level”, vowing that they would continue to talk about the problems affecting Hungarians.

Magyar’s speech at demo ‘scandalous, false, unsavoury’, says Fidesz MEP

Csaba Dömötör, an MEP of ruling Fidesz, said on Friday that citing Hitler and calling employees of the public service media “Hitler’s students” at a recent demonstration was “scandalous, false and unsavoury” of Peter Magyar, an MEP and the leader of the opposition Tisza Party.

This kind of a behaviour is going against the EP’s rules and is a gross violation of office, he said on Facebook and urged calling back Magyar from the position of vice-president of the Constitutional Committee. Dömötör said that he had sent a letter to Roberta Metsola calling on the EP president “to take the necessary steps”.

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