Election 2018 – LMP pledges to raise public sector wages

If the opposition LMP party were to form Hungary’s next government, it would use 300 billion forints (nearly 1bn euros) to raise wages in the public sector, Bernadett Szél, the party’s co-leader and prime minister candidate told a press conference on Wednesday.

Szél insisted that some 18,000 municipal employees have not received a pay hike for the past 10 years and suggested that low pay for municipal employees in small towns could lead to the collapse of those municipalities.

Concerning migration, Szél said that her party would “similarly to the government, enforce the Geneva convention”, but they would sort migrants before they enter the country and “establish who is a refugee and who is coming illegally, even with a shady purpose.” Control over immigration are a national competency, she said, and insisted that Hungary’s parliament should pass relevant laws.

“We do not support the (EU) migration quota; we could not dismantle the border fence and I personally would restore the border guard,” Szél said.

Szél also said her party would have talks with the Momentum party over “common causes” and suggested that cooperation between LMP and Momentum could “pose a serious challenge to the ruling elite”.

Featured image: MTI

Source: MTI