Hungary Engaged in a Major Battle, Migration Pact in the Crosshairs

“It is unacceptable that we are being forced to pay a daily fine of one million euros simply for protecting our own external border, while at the same time defending Europe against illegal migration,” Bence Retvari, the parliamentary state secretary of the interior ministry told Magyar Nemzet in an interview. Hungary's deputy interior minister emphasized that those who threaten schools with bombings can expect severe punishment, even though no terrorist attacks have been committed in Hungary, unlike in some Western European countries. The politician also highlighted that teachers' salaries have nearly doubled over four years, resulting in approximately 3,000 more educators teaching in schools since last year, while the number of students enrolling in teacher training programs has significantly increased in higher education.

State Secretary Bence Retvari (Photo: Balazs Ladoczki)

– Seeing this, how much do you think the voters' will is worth in the EU?
– The gap between the Brussels bubble and European citizens is widening. Illegal migrants have caused severe crises in Western Europe. For ten years, EU leaders have been trying to convince people that migration is a good thing, while EU citizens are gaining first-hand experience about the many dangers of immigration in their everyday lives.

It is unacceptable that Brussels is imposing a daily fine of one million euros on Hungary. Photo: Balazs Ladoczki

– Does every EU member state support the migration pact?
– No, we have allies in the fight against the migration pact. A Dutch MP, for instance, stated that their new government would send all illegal migrants back to Belgium and Germany. A French MP also pointed out that the Hungarian border fence has not caused any tragedies, whereas the lack of a fence elsewhere has. A German delegate noted that his party should reconsider its migration stance, as it might be one reason for its drastic decline in popularity. These voices are being heard—just not in Brussels yet.

– Recently, bomb threats against school have increased, one of which affected hundreds of institutions. How likely is it that the perpetrators will be caught, and what can be done to deter potential offenders?
– Since Western Europe faces not just threats but actual attacks, every bomb threat must be taken seriously. The safety of Hungarian children comes first. During the recent wave of threats, all affected institutions were thoroughly inspected, and no one rested until every child was safe. Fortunately, no explosives were found. The bomb threats were part of a series of coordinated actions across multiple countries, necessitating international cooperation in the investigation. Similar threats had previously occurred in Bulgaria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic, and after the Hungarian incident, Croatia and Slovenia were also targeted. I met with Europol’s executive director, who promised to set up a working group where all affected countries could share their experiences. Unfortunately, this case has inspired some individuals to carry out similar hoaxes, but police apprehended all of them within a day or two.

This is not a prank but a serious crime that causes major distress for students, parents, and teachers. Those responsible will face severe prison sentences.

– On the anniversary of the "outbreak," aggressive far-left activists gathered again in Hungary, many of them from abroad. Last year and this year, the police managed to maintain order in Budapest during this period. What measures were necessary?

– The police were once again well-prepared to prevent violence in the capital, which required increased police presence, intelligence gathering, and screening individuals carrying dangerous objects. Two years ago, foreign far-left activists launched cowardly, random attacks on innocent people in broad daylight, brutally beating them. It is unacceptable that German, Italian, Syrian, and Albanian perpetrators are attempting to bring Antifa violence from abroad to Hungary.

 The person who committed violent crimes as part of a criminal organization on the streets of Budapest belongs in prison, not in the European Parliament.

An EU representative should be a role model; a prisoner should serve as a cautionary example. Ilaria Salis is the latter—she should be behind bars.

– Last year, teachers received a historic pay raise. What are the effects of this measure? How is teachers' pay progressing toward the average graduate salary?
– This is no longer just a promise; it is a reality. In early February, teachers and kindergarten educators received their increased salaries, for which we allocated an additional 339 billion forints this year alone.

We can say that teachers' salaries have increased by more than 93% over four years, i.e. they have nearly doubled. This is unprecedented in Hungary. These wages will continue to rise annually until 2031, keeping pace with the average increase in the salary of graduates.

This is how we express our appreciation for teachers and keep them in the profession. The teaching profession has regained its appeal, with nearly three thousand more teachers working in schools since last year. Additionally, in the past year, universities have enrolled fifteen thousand students in teacher training programs, compared to five thousand twenty years ago and nine thousand ten years ago. This sends a strong message to those on the left who reduced teachers' salaries in 2008-2009 and whose administrations never saw such a high number of applicants for teacher training programs.

Hungary has never seen teachers' salaries double within four years. Photo: Balazs Ladoczki

– Recently, we received news that the EU will support the Hungarian teachers' wage increases with five million forints per teacher, until 2030. How will this rightful support for Hungary be integrated into teachers' salaries?
– Using EU funds was important because it helped in achieving the planned wage hikes for teachers faster. If the EU had not been procrastinating, this process could have commenced even earlier. All in all, out of every ten forints allocated for teachers' wage hikes, nine come from Hungary’s budget, while only one is provided by Brussels. 

– How has the government’s relationship with teacher unions evolved since the "career path law" was passed?
– From the sovereignty protection law all the way to the child protection law, the unions have protested everything that the keft-wing opposition has criticized. 

Unfortunately, the unions have aligned themselves with left-wing political parties, something that's damaged their credibility and led to a significant decline in membership. 

Despite this, the government engaged in discussions with them and incorporated several of their constructive proposals into the new career path law. We also consulted with the National Pedagogical Council, employers, academic experts, as well as student and parent organizations. Additionally, teachers working with disadvantaged children now receive a 20% salary bonus, and educators in STEM subjects receive extra allowances. We value the work of teachers, which is why we've adopted a career law specifically tailored to them.

– We understand that you are also working on the transformation of the performance evaluation system. Where does this process stand?

– We are in the middle of a long process. The first version was only introduced in a select number of schools, and after gathering feedback from these institutions, we'll do a national rollout. Starting from the next school year, every teacher's salary will be influenced by their individual performance. We surveyed all teachers in the KRÉTA system to ask who they believe is best positioned to evaluate their performance. The responses identified school principals as the most suitable evaluators, and this was incorporated into the law. In other words, teachers themselves contributed to this part of the legislation. Since many schools have diverse characteristics, we have provided the opportunity for institutions to set performance goals that align with their unique profiles.

If we meet the goals that had been jointly established with the school leaders, then teachers will receive a higher salary.

– You are also the elected representative of the 4th constituency in Pest County, which includes Vác and its surrounding areas. What are the most important tasks in your constituency?
– We have achieved significant successes in the Danube Bend. It was here that the first double-decker trains in Hungary were introduced, we expanded the M2 motorway to a four-lane highway, and implemented major tourism developments in the Börzsöny mountains, much to the delight of nature enthusiasts. In addition, the interior of the Vác Cathedral has been renovated, and it now shines again in the same splendor it had two centuries ago. Despite the fact that these are more challenging times throughout Europe than before the war, we managed to refurbish main roads in six municipalities. Thanks to the government’s pre-financed Top Plus grants, local governments were able to carry out complex developments, worth billions of forints, which had been in the pipeline for generations.

Cover photo: According to the state secretary, the trade unions have become aligned with left-wing political parties (Photo: Balazs Ladoczki)