Threat? PM Orbán: “We’ll win the next election no matter what the opposition does”

“Reality is on the government’s side”, and the ruling parties “will win the next election no matter what the opposition does,” Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on the opening day of parliament on Monday.

In his reply to the opposition “trying the describe the economy using all kinds of macro data”, the prime minister said: “These are important and meaningful discussions, but the real performance of the economy is reflected in what you see in real life.”

“What you see in real life is that every young person can take out a loan at 3 percent and can own their home, while families with two or three children will have their tax benefits doubled and families receive GYED or CSED benefits tax free,” Orbán said. He also noted support for the elderly and mothers who are exempted from the personal income tax, benefitting one million Hungarian women.

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“This is the reality, dear friends, not your fairy tales about macroeconomic indicators… Reality is on our side, on the government’s side, on Hungary’s side. So we will win the next election, no matter what you do…” Orbán said.

Concerning a recent case involving a children’s home in Budapest’s Szőlő Street, Orbán characterised related accusations as “a sneaky slander campaign aimed at certain members of the government, evoking communist times”, and he said anyone making false claims would be met with “appropriate legal proceedings”.

Deputy Prime Minister Zsolt Semjén made a contribution to the debate, saying he had never had anything to do with “any sinful relationship”. He said he would not allow himself to be destroyed in the absence of any guilt, and he would not be intimidated.