In his regular radio interview, Orbán said that Hungary is one and a half to two months ahead of the rest of the EU in terms of vaccinations, making Hungary “among the first to restart life.” However, despite favorable epidemiological data, he encouraged those not yet inoculated to register for the vaccine, as the virus is still present. “I am very concerned that there are 3 million people who have still not been vaccinated,” he said, adding that to the best of their knowledge, those vaccinated are immunized against all known virus variants.
Asked whether the newly adopted law on pedophilia is against the gay community, he said that it is about protecting our children. He pointed out that the law does not apply to those over 18, it does not seek to interfere in their lives, but children must be protected, and their sexual education must remain the sole right and responsibility of parents; thus, the law sets limits on schools and institutions in this regard as well, PM Orbán added.
Regarding the global minimum tax plan proposed by the EU, the prime minister said any effort that reduces the resilience of an economy impairs competitiveness. We make our living by producing more cheaply, faster, more flexibly and more reliably than others. Therefore, it is in Hungary's interest not to accept rules imposed from the outside, since shifting the current Hungarian tax system toward higher rates would bring a decline in living standards, he underlined.
“My goal is to get the country to be a lender, not a borrower; to have a budget deficit of zero or a surplus; and have a public debt of around zero,” he said. But this is not possible in the next one to two years, as the crisis has left many people devastated. The aim now is not to build up reserves but to rebuild the country and strengthen families, Prime Minister Orbán emphasized. He also noted that the upcoming national consultation will set the foundation and common goals of our new life after the pandemic.
According to the PM, one of the important issues at next week's summit in Brussels will be the increased migration pressure and climate protection. Migration cannot be completely eliminated because there are situations in life where people have to flee their country, and the EU should play a role in helping those people rebuild their lives, instead of imposing mandatory quotas, he stated. The prime minister also said that the costs of climate protection should be paid by those who destroy it, not by families, referring to a possible climate tax that the EU may introduce.