Balázs Hankó, the minister for culture and innovation, said Hungary’s government supports sustainability and Hungarian families.
In connection with the International Family Forum held in Istanbul on Thursday, Hankó said Hungary’s family policy has even set an example on the international stage, adding that this was the reason why Turkiye has declared 2025 the "year of the family".
Hankó said Hungary is the only European Union member state out of the 26 countries taking part in the International Family Forum, arguing that it was the "bastion of families" in the EU. Hungary, he said, protected the traditional family model against the "Brussels family model" and provided "outstanding financial security to families with children".
Noting the tax breaks given to families with children, he said all of the ministers attending the Istanbul conference had spoken highly of Hungary’s family support system.
Hankó said the topic of work-family balance was given special attention in the speeches and questions at the forum. He noted that in Hungary, mothers can choose to stay home with their children for three years or return to work as soon as three months after giving birth, while still receiving family support.
The conference, he said, had also established that the family was the key to sustainability, adding that Hungary was a global leader on this front. "Hungary puts families first," he said. "The family is the basis of the Hungarian economy and Hungarian society, which is why we support sustainability and Hungarian families instead of war, migration and Ukraine’s fast-tracked accession to the EU."