This National Consultation Survey Will Be Different

The government has good reason not to wait until December 20 to open the first returned envelopes with the filled in questionnaires: they will continuously follow what implications emerge from people's responses, because there are ongoing negotiations on next year's budget, Parliamentary State Secretary Balazs Hidveghi pointed out.

Photo: MTI/Zoltan Balogh

Family support to be doubled

With regard to family support, he said people will be asked about family tax allowances, which have been a very important instrument in Hungary's tax policy and support for families for years. Brussels is attacking these measures and wants to persuade the Hungarian government to abolish them. He underlined that these measure will remain in place, in fact the government believes that family allowances should be increased and this is why they would like to double tax rebates for families with children. Regarding the elderly, people will be asked in the survey whether they want the 13th month pension to become a permanent feature of their pension benefits. He pointed out that these measures will be covered by the budget, by the resources that the Hungarian budget has access to and by the potential growth rate expected.

He noted that they will not wait until the deadline of December 20 to open the first envelopes received, but will continuously follow what implications emerge from people's responses, because there are ongoing negotiations on these issues with a view to next year's budget.

Hungary's migration policy will remain in place

Migration practically determines what has happened in Europe over the past ten years, Balazs Hidveghi pointed out. "Hungary has taken a very firm, consistent and unchanging stance from the very beginning: it rejects illegal migration and immigration into the territory of the European Union, and has done its part to prevent it," he said. He recalled that they have built border barriers, reinforced the protection of the borders with soldiers and policemen, and reject ongoing and recurring efforts from Brussels to force Hungary to "surrender" and admit migrants who have entered the EU illegally. Speaking about the punishment imposed on Hungary for its migration policy, he said that they would like to see the position of the Hungarian people clearly. "In our view, this punishment is outrageous and unacceptable. It will be an important confirmation if Hungarians agree with this, and it will also be decisive for future government decisions and actions," he stressed.