Hungarian parliament passes amendments paving way for expanded family support

Lawmakers on Monday approved amendments to legislation necessary for the expansion of government measures supporting families with children.

The amendments were approved with a vote of 176 for, 10 against and 6 abstentions.

The changes allow the rollout of an interest-free general purpose loan up to 10 million forints (EUR 31,100) for married couples who commit to having children.

Repayments on this loan will be suspended for three years after the birth of the borrower’s first child. After the birth of a second child, repayments will be suspended for another three years and one-third of the principal will be paid for by the state. After the birth of a third child, the state will take over all of the loan’s principal.

The measures also include government grants up to 2.5 million forints for purchases of new, seven-passenger vehicles for families with at least three children.