On the occasion of the Fourth Demographic Summit, Prime Minister Orbán said that the future of Europe lies in children, adding that it is unacceptable to tackle labor shortages through migration. He further called Hungarian family policy unorthodox and unprecedented in Europe.
The PM noted that he accepts people who choose an LGBTQ lifestyle, but they are the exception and regulations cannot be adapted to them; nor can Hungary accept them telling us how to raise our children, he added.
“I want childbearing to be linked to an economic advantage,” the prime minister said. The most important objective is that whoever has a child has a better life, he stressed. This is not yet the case today, and it is very difficult to reconcile work and family life. We therefore have to create a tax system that supports this goal in order to maintain the economic motivation of having children, he underlined.
Regarding the PIT reimbursement, PM Orbán stated that everyone was tormented by the pandemic, but the biggest burden was borne by families with children. Since the economic reboot has surpassed our expectations, the fairest decision would be to give the extra revenue back to those raising children, he said, adding that the national consultation supported this idea. He also emphasized that small entrepreneurs will also get back part of the taxes they paid.
At least one month’s salary and one month’s pension must be returned to people, the PM said, adding that he sought “to stand before the electorate [in a Hungary] that has finally put the Gyurcsány-Bajnai era behind it.” To this end, a 20 percent increase in the minimum wage must be achieved, and the government will also try to reach 100 percent of the 13th month pension next year, he said.
Regarding the fourth wave of the coronavirus epidemic, the prime minister said that unvaccinated people are exposing themselves to a serious illness, so he asked everyone to get vaccinated, otherwise they will be at risk. He noted, however, that vaccination will not be mandatory for now.
The situation with regard to vaccines is reassuring, with nearly 18 million doses to be available by the end of the year, he added. Regarding the restrictions, PM Orbán said, “I will argue against closures until the last minute,” as restrictions would be unfair to those vaccinated. If there are any restrictions, they will be tied to the immunity certificate, he concluded.