"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.