PM Orban: Hungary Expects Real Wage Growth of 9.5–10 Percent This Year + Video

There are no indicators in which we have not made progress since 2010, yet we cannot be satisfied, Prime Minister Viktor Orban told lawmakers in parliament. He outlined the government’s 21-point action plan, which supports wage growth, businesses, and housing.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Parliament (Photo: Arpad Kurucz)

– Hungarian families receive significantly more support through the current scheme than Hungarian families living beyond the country’s borders,” Prime Minister Orban told opposition MP Olga Kalman, from the Democratic Coalition, during question hour in parliament. Mr. Orban remarked that even providing Hungarian families abroad with the same level of support as those in Hungary is worthy of consideration. 

If I understand correctly, you resent the money going to Hungarian families living beyond our borders. This is nothing but a shameful continuation of the December 2004 referendum,

– he added.

PM Orban said it would be ideal if Hungarian families abroad could receive the same level of support as families within Hungary, but that there are legal barriers, as the most substantial support is provided through tax breaks that cannot be extended to Hungarians living abroad.

What you’re doing is nothing more than socialist propaganda left over from the communist era against Hungarians living beyond our borders. You should be ashamed of it,

– Mr. Orban declared.

Leftist policies drove Hungary into a rut 

– The Bokros Package (a series of austerity measures - ed.) you introduced resulted in Hungary’s greatest demographic catastrophe. We are now tasked with pulling the country out of the rut into which you drove it,” Mr. Orban replied to socialist MP Imre Komjati’s question. He noted that,

according to Eurostat data, the percentage of people living in severe material deprivation fell from 24 percent in 2015 to 10 percent in 2023.

– Those who think that Romanians are surpassing us, well, I suggest that they move there. And then, when they return, we’ll discuss their experiences, and I’ll be ready for a parliamentary debate,” he added. The government has announced a 21-point action plan to support wage hikes, businesses, and housing, Mr. Orban said, urging the opposition lawmaker to support this initiative.

The left-leaning media also covered the prime minister’s response in parliament, but tended to report only half of what was said. For instance, Telex ran the story under the headline, “Viktor Orban: Anyone Who Thinks Romanians Are Surpassing Us Should Move There!”, and 444 also published a piece with a similar headline.

Photo: Prime Minister's Press Office / Benko Vivien Cher

 

No pardon regarding anti-communist issues

– I would gladly utter a few sharp words about KGBela and the fact that they ran on the same platform with the Democratic Coalition (DK),” PM Orban said his in response to a question from Jobbik MP Koloman Brenner. Mr. Orban noted that shallow political skirmishing is unworthy of the 1956 Revolution.

With us, there's no pardon regarding anti-communist issues,

– he added.

Mr. Orban stressed that the 1956 Revolution cannot be used as a basis to construe such a reasonable policy that simultaneously honors the heroes of the past and adapts to the circumstances of the 21st century.

You are mixing current foreign policy with historical commemoration, which is disgraceful. The leader of your party was an election observer in Crimea,

– PM Orban emphasized.

Family tax benefits are growing 

– You did not introduce the family tax benefit; we did. The debate is only possible because we introduced the benefits. That's the starting point, Mr. Orban said, responding to a question from Bence Tordai, a lawmaker of the opposition Dialogue (Parbeszed) party. Mr. Orban detailed that families can deduct 10,000 forints after one child, 20,000 forints after two children, and 99,000 forints after three from their taxes, with both spouses eligible for these deductions. He added that, as of January 1, 2026

• Families with one child will be able to deduct 20,000 forints,
• 40,000 forints if they raise two children, 
• and 198,000 forints, if they have three children. 

This system encourages families to have more children, and Mr. Orban said he believes that it's a good approach worthy of additional funding.

PM Orban recalled that before 2010, there were families aiming to live off of the child allowances, rather than raising children for their own sake, which stirred resentment among working families. At that time, they reached a conclusion not to remove child allowances, but to deliver the available resources to families through tax benefits linked to work.

 

Substantial progress since 2010

– In 1920, our enemies decided that Hungary should be small and poor. In 2010, the national side came to power, and we decided that Hungary should be great and prosperous once more. That is the aim of our economic policy,” Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in response to an immediate question from Laszlo Toroczkai, the leader of the opposition Our Homeland Movement. 

There are no indicators in which we haven’t seen progress since 2010, yet we cannot be satisfied because we are not yet large and prosperous enough. But we will be if we can continue governing,

– he added.

Although Our Homeland does not dispute the government's goal of making Hungary great and strong again, Mr. Orban noted, adding that what's needed now is a mutual acknowledgement of the facts. He pointed out that real wages have increased every year except one since 2012. 

This year, we expect real wage growth in Hungary to be between 9.5 and 10 percent,

– PM Orban emphasized.

Budapest-Belgrade railway 

– We keep hearing all these sneaky remarks from you about the Chinese. True, we are financing the Budapest–Belgrade railway with a Chinese loan, but this is a Hungarian investment. We are negotiating with the European Development Bank on a loan, which we also intend to use for railway development. We are working with loans that are available on the market.

Goods from Greek ports need to reach the European continent, and without the Belgrade–Budapest railway line, traders will choose alternative routes. This would mean a financial loss for us. It is an obvious national economic interest,

– Mr. Orban responded to LMP's Mate Kanasz-Nagy, who inquired about the Belgrade–Budapest railway line in light of a recent tragedy at the Novi Sad train station. The prime minister suggested that Mr. Kanasz-Nagy direct his additional questions to Janos Lazar. He reminded parliament that more people are using the railway since Mr. Lazar took over as minister, than before.

Cover Photo: Prime Minister Viktor Orban in Parliament (Photo by Arpad Kurucz)