PM Orban: We Need a New Economic Policy with Economic Neutrality at its Heart

In Kotcse, Hungary's prime minister took questions from journalists, but the session was marred by such scandalous behavior from leftist activists that even members of the press were visibly perturbed.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the Civic Picnic gathering in Kotcse, Hungary on September 7, 2024 (Source: Hirado.hu)

"A new world economy has emerged, which we must adapt to, therefore we need a new economic policy, the heart and essence of which is economic neutrality," Prime Minister Viktor Orban told journalists gathered outside this year's Civic Picnic at the Dobozy Mansion, in Kotcse, Hungary, Hirado.hu reported.

While PM Orban was responding to questions, left-wing activists were screaming so loudly and throwing things, that even the press became annoyed and tried quieting them so they could do their work. 

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Ignoring the rowdy activists wanting to disrupt his speech, Mr Orban said that economic success will come from economic neutrality, which means staying out of the war,

not the formation of blocs or supporting sanctions policies, but rather trading with and establish good economic cooperation with everyone,

 he explained.

Photo: MTI/Tibor Illyes

Economic neutrality is the "heart and essence" of the new economic policy, as the premier is convinced that this will bring economic success to Hungary.

"This year, Hungarian economic growth is in the top third in Europe," Mr Orban said in response to a question, adding that he was not satisfied with this, but would prefer Hungarian growth topping the European tier. The government wants to achieve a level of of between three and five percent, which he noted is not impossible in the coming year.

He also spoke of the Budapest airport deal as the re-acquisition of national assets and the acquisition of Vodafone as a historic step towards the country having a Hungarian-owned info-/telecommunications and internationally powerful company.

These are all important and necessary steps,

he stated.

Mr Orban said that "our current situation clearly shows" that we recognized in good time that maintaining solid relations with all the important players in the world economy, rather than blocification, serves the Hungarian economy. On the debates between the central bank and the government, he said that there will always be debates about the economy, as there are differing opinions on how to approach the economy. But there should be no disputes between the central bank and the government.

"If there is a dispute, there are reasons for it, and Balazs Orban has made this clear," the PM said, referring to an earlier statement by the policy chief on the personal dispute between the central bank president and the minister responsible for economic governance.

Photo: MTI/Tibor Illyes

Regarding a question on the situation of the Hungarian health care system, the PM said that there are eight thousand more doctors now than there were in 2010. Wages have been raised and the number of air-conditioned facilities is increasing every year.

Every year we are also moving forward in health care.

"But, of course, we haven't finished the job, yet" he added.

On the state of the Fidesz party and the civil Right, Mr Orban recalled that they received 45% of the vote in the European Parliament elections, which is the best result in Europe, and that they are now leading the list.

We are the strongest political organization in Europe.

The next strongest party after Fidesz, he added, received 30 percent of the vote. "Where do I sign to get this in 2026?" he joked, thanking the young people for their support.

Asked about EU funds, Mr Orban replied that "we have 12 billion in our account". We are talking about the fact that there is no EU money, "the hell there isn't", he remarked, saying that €12 billion is waiting to be injected into the Hungarian economy.

And I'm waiting for the tenders to be implemented by Hungarian contractors, to be paid for by the budget, and for us to receive the post-financing. So the situation today is not that there is no money, but that the money is there, but we just can't incorporate it fast enough,

he added, noting that of the 27 countries, Hungary is the first or second fastest utilizer of funds in the seven-year EU budget.  "So I would be cautious with the criticism," Mr Orban said, adding that the €12 billion will last for many years to come.

On his leaked peace plan, Mr Orban said that if the EU had accepted any of the elements of the proposal at the time, there would be much less trouble today.

Incidentally, the peace mission is not over. I've been working on it all summer, we're doing international work, there will be some spectacular initiatives that will be launched as early as September,

he said.

The PM sees the essence of foreign policy in building friendships and alliances. The fact that two countries are not on good terms does not preclude Hungary from being on good terms with both. It is in Hungary's interest that the world economy does not separate into blocs,

he stressed.

"Hungary can be on good terms with the Americans, the Chinese, the Japanese, the Arabs and the European Union at the same time. We are a sovereign country," Mr Orban stressed. On the issue of the company linked to the HEPA office in Moscow having exported radio telephones to Russia by circumventing sanctions, the PM said that the Hungarian national security agencies had not reported any problems in this regard.

In response to a question on the state of the railways and hospitals, the premier said that the most effective minister is in charge of transport and was the one who introduced the national transport pass, and that the state secretary for health was himself a former hospital director.

Asked whether he would debate with Peter Magyar in Strasbourg, Mr Orban reminded enquirers that he was not a Member of the European Parliament (MEP), but would fulfill his obligations under the rotating presidency and be available to all MEPs.

The Civic Picnic is traditionally held in Kotcse at the beginning of the fall political season, and is where Prime Minister Viktor Orban holds a closed-door political review. The Fidesz leader first outlined the idea of a more centralized power structure at the 2009 meeting in Kotcse, but now a new domestic political structure has emerged and requires reinterpretation.

Cover photo: Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the Civic Picnic gathering in Kotcse, Hungary. (Source: Hirado.hu)