Minister Gulyás stated that while the European Commission plans to spend around €3 billion on implementing the migration pact instead of strengthening external border protection, Hungary will continue to defend its southern border and take part in joint EU border protection efforts with other countries. He stressed that Hungarian families can feel safe because the government is maintaining border security regardless of Brussels’ priorities.
Ukraine featured prominently in the briefing. Minister Gulyás confirmed that Hungary continues to reject both Ukraine’s EU accession and its financing. He argued that the European Union is seeking to admit a country where fundamental human rights are being seriously violated, while at the same time supporting its militarization. Hungary, he reiterated, will not send money or weapons to Ukraine.
Linked to this, the minister announced decisive action against forced conscription in Transcarpathia. He recalled that last year a Hungarian man, József Sebestyén, died as a result of forced conscription, and in January another Transcarpathian Hungarian with heart disease, previously declared unfit for service, also became a victim. Even in the case of a country under attack, Minister Gulyás said, such practices are unacceptable. As a result, the government has decided to expel three Ukrainian citizens involved in forced conscription from Hungary and will initiate their ban from the entire Schengen Area.
Turning to domestic economic measures, Minister Gulyás highlighted that millions of Hungarian families are receiving higher incomes following the transfer of January wages. He pointed to the government’s family policy measures, noting that since last July the family tax allowance has been increased in two steps, effectively doubling its amount.
Mothers with three children have been exempt from personal income tax since November, while two-child mothers under 40 became eligible for tax exemption from January.
He also underlined wage increases across several sectors. Teachers’ salaries rose by 10 percent in January, pushing average pay above HUF 900,000 and more than doubling wages over the current cycle. Cultural sector employees and social workers have received average wage increases of around 15 percent. In addition, the minimum wage and the guaranteed minimum wage increased in January, affecting around 200,000 and 700,000 workers, respectively.
Pensions were also addressed. Minister Gulyás confirmed that the 13th month pension and the first installment of the 14th month pension are being delivered, either by mail or via bank transfer in early February.
On energy policy, the minister announced that the government will raise the funding framework for the household energy storage program. More than 75,000 applications have already been submitted, with the aim of enabling households not only to produce but also to store solar energy, which he described as a new form of utility cost reduction.
Finally, Minister Gulyás criticized the Tisza Party, saying its program was effectively written in Brussels. According to him, recent statements have made clear that the party’s real plans include ending utility cost cuts, removing taxes on multinational companies, and cutting pensions.