FM Szijjártó: ‘Hungarian model stands test of greatest challenges’
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Hungary’s performance in the past twelve years, “and especially last year’s economic output”, are proof that “the Hungarian model remains effective even in times of the greatest challenges”, the minister of foreign affairs and trade told business leaders on Tuesday.
Péter Szijjártó, speaking at the 23rd summit of the Hungarian Business Leaders Forum, said the government applied “specifically Hungarian solutions” to resolving problems, according to a foreign ministry statement.
He said that while this approach had been “sharply criticised both within Hungary and from abroad”, its solutions “have invariably proved successful”.
Concerning the challenges the government has faced since 2010, Szijjarto mentioned fallout of the 2008-2009 global crisis, the government’s response to which was to cut taxes, launch a broad programme to promote investments, and introduce its policy of opening to the East.
Referring to the migration crisis, Szijjártó said that
despite “extremely serious attacks” against the government’s introduction of strict border controls and its migration policy in general, Hungary and other Visegrad Group countries cooperated to stop mandatory migrant quotas from being introduced across Europe.
Those quotas “could have led to a disaster”, he added.
On another subject, Szijjártó said the government had made a strategic decision early in 2021 to resolve the shortage of coronavirus vaccines by importing Eastern ones, helping a vaccination drive, which meant the country could reopen its economy two months before the rest of Europe.