Gergely Gulyás, the minister heading the Prime Minister's Office, kicked off today’s Government Info session by stating that many foreign guests will be attending the Budapest Demographic Summit, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Bulgarian President Rumen Radev. According to the minister, while Hungary has made significant progress in the field of demography, we are still not where we should be.
Gulyás cited the fertility rate in 2010, which stood at 1.23, while the same figure for 2021 is 1.59. This was the highest increase in the EU over this timeframe, he said. "We would be 160,000 fewer if there had been no change (to the previous family policy)," he added. Minister Gulyás also reported that the government's new family policy package is already being prepared in connection with the restructuring of the urban CSOK.
The government cabinet today also discussed grain imports from Ukraine and has asked the European Commission to extend the import ban. Ukrainian grain should go to starving African countries and not to European countries, the minister said. "This is not a question of European solidarity because Ukrainian grain is destroying the markets of the countries bordering it," Gulyás added.
In the minister’s view, while single-digit inflation is possible in November, there are worrying signs: Fuel prices are higher than before, with the primary reason being the Ukrainian transit fare hike.
”It is unacceptable that Ukrainian transit fees have increased by three and a half times,” he added.
Commenting on ratifying Sweden’s NATO accession, Minister Gulyás said that if it is true that in Swedish public schools, they are showing videos attacking Hungary's democracy, then Sweden is clearly doing its utmost to prevent us from ratifying their NATO accession.
In response to a question, Gulyás said that EU funds should have come a long time ago and that he hoped the European Commission would return to its agreed-upon path. “All the conditions have been met,” he added.
On the denial of the U.S. visa application of György Szőllősi, editor-in-chief of sports daily Nemzeti Sport, he said it was a very unfriendly gesture. "We don't understand why the Americans did not grant the visa application; it could be expected of them to at least tell us why the visa was not granted," he added.
Responding to a question about pension adjustments, Minister Gulyás said that if inflation is higher than the previous pension hike, then there will be an adjustment in November.