"At first glance, one would say that there is no room in the budget for paying a pension supplement, Viktor Orban told Hungary's public radio on Friday morning. The budget is always planned for a deficit, which is absurd, PM Orban noted, adding that "we will become a very strong, stable and happy country when the Hungarian budget is in surplus". As he put it, the budget was ruined in the communist system.
"Not paying pensions to decent people who have worked hard in their active life is something that we cannot do. During the Gyurcsany era, they took away a month's pension amid a crisis, but we are giving extra to pensioners, PM Orban underlined.
He highlighted that
the government has preserved the value of pensions and never thought of taking away the 13th month pension like the Left did when they were in government.
Price cap, interest rate freeze and online price monitoring system
Speaking about the means of curbing inflation, PM Orban said that people learn a lot when life presents them with difficult challenges. For a while, they followed the well-trodden track, the instruments were in the hands of the central bank, as that's where the highest expertise is.
"Despite efforts, the central bank failed in the struggle, but it's not their fault, as they have their own toolkit, while inflation has grown into a tree and an axe was needed to cut it down,"
he explained.
"However, only the government has an axe, which is why the government took over the management of inflation from the central bank,
he added. And then came the price caps, the interest rate freeze, the online price monitoring system and all the other measures.
"We succeeded, the strokes of the axe brought results. We cut inflation. The goal is to make 2023 the year of breaking inflation. Inflation will be below ten percent this year, and the central bank expects four to six percent next year. But the real question is when wages can start to grow in parallel with the economy."
In PM Orban's view, wages certainly increased more than prices already in September. He has also seen forecasts that suggest that Hungary will see the highest economic growth.
Are we giving our grandchildren's money and future to someone else?
PM Orban emphasized that Hungary sees the war differently from the rest of the Western world. "It is in our interest to localize this conflict, while other countries want to globalize it," he added, pointing out that
the Western world, far from the war, has not done sober reflection. There is a constant danger that increasingly dangerous weapons will be used, and these may reach those who are on the side of peace.
"It's not that the Hungarians are right but that the Hungarians will be right," he underscored.
On Ukraine's possible EU membership, the PM said that all member states would have to come to a unanimous decision, and that he does not see any support in the Hungarian parliament for Ukraine's accession. If Brussels gives money to Ukraine, there will be no money for Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and the less developed countries, because there just isn't enough for everything, he said, adding, "this has to be taken into account. Brussels's solution to this is to take out loans. But if the EU gives the money owed to our country to Ukraine, which will never be able to pay it back, we are giving our grandchildren's money and future to someone else," he pointed out.
He postulated that Hungary might not be receiving EU funds because some of it is already in Ukraine. "We don't know, because Brussels doesn't speak clearly. We pay in what we have to, but what they should be giving us, isn't coming."
"So Brussels owes us more than EUR 3 billion. This is a significant amount, considering the size of the Hungarian economy,"
he pointed out, adding,
"Brussels is dragging its feet: we just received nine insubstantial questions regarding our judicial system, which they have no business asking. The whole debate is becoming quite absurd.
Brussels is belaboring contrived objections to buy itself time,"
Mr Orban stressed, pointing out that
in the upcoming, mid-October Polish elections, Brussels is banking on a left-wing victory. They want to overthrow the Polish government and are hoping that if a left-wing government comes in, Hungary will be left all alone on its own and will consequently be easier to deal with.
However, if a conservative government remains at the helm in Poland, the two countries will always defend each other, and then Brussels will have to give way, Mr Orban stressed.
Migration-induced conflicts must be avoided
Regarding migration, PM Orban stressed that there has been a step backwards, saying that there are longer-term, permanent threats, such as migration. "The EU is not viewing the question from a historical perspective, but considers migration to be a human rights issue."
Hungary wants to avoid conflicts caused by migration. He pointed out that
the Hungarian Left is pro-migration, and supports decisions in the European Parliament that encourage migration.
If you want to protect yourself against migration, don't let migrants in. If you say no, they won't come.
Don't bring the trouble here, but rather take your help there,"
he stressed.
Germany, in his view, has been a country with limited autonomy since the Second World War, so its swiveling on the migration pact is not surprising, however, Slovakia's turnaround is troubling.
Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban in MR1 radio studios (Photo: MTI/PM Press Office/Zoltan Fischer)
