PM Orban: There's No Strong Nation Without Strong Families

Hungary will become a tax haven for families, where mothers will not have to pay income tax for their entire lives, PM Orban declared in his morning radio interview.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban gives an interview on the ‘Good Morning, Hungary!’ program at Kossuth Radio’s studio on February 21, 2025 (Photo: MTI / Prime Minister’s Press Office / Zoltan Fischer)

"All anouncements depend on peace; it's something one cannot implement in wartime," PM Orban emphasized in his morning radio interview when asked about the family support policies announced in last week’s annual address.

Mr. Orban noted that while peace has not yet been secured, with Trump’s return to office, the risk of the war escalating has disappeared.

He stated that although painful battles are continuing on the frontlines, it is now clear that the war will not escalate, as the United States has joined the pro-peace camp, alongside the Vatican and Hungary. According to Mr. Orban, it's the first time that he now feels that the economy can be managed according to the logic of peace. He emphasized that the measures being introduced are ambitious and focused on families.

– "Let’s help families have children!" he added.

PM Orban underlined that when there is work, everything else follows, and the tax system is built on this principle. He recalled that when the government first spoke about creating one million new jobs within a decade back in 2010, they were mocked—but they managaed to achieved it. "If not enough children are born, we won't have strong families. And without strong families, there is no strong nation. That's why we introduced the family tax allowance," Mr. Orban reminded listeners.

He noted that the government had retained the child support payments, but most of the funds were channeled into tax reliefs, because this is where work and childbearing intersect. 

This is why many returned to the labor market, including many Roma families.

 

Hungary: a tax haven for families

Mr. Orban explained that the next step was introducing measures to support young people, exempting under-25s from the personal income tax. This was later extended to mothers under 30, followed by an exemption for mothers with four or more children for life. "Now we have the opportunity to double the family tax allowance in two stages: parents with one child will receive 20,000 forints, those with two children 80,000 forints, and those with three children 200,000 forints in tax relief," he detailed.

Looking ahead, the prime minister stated that over the next four years, a tax system will be created where families are at the center. "Hungary will become a tax haven for families," he added. He noted that millions of people will eventually not have to pay any taxes at all during their lifetime.

– "The government has made an enormous commitment that is not easy to fulfill," Mr. Orban acknowledged, but reminded listeners that 

in the past 15 years, the government has achieved many things that were once deemed impossible.

He cited the halving of personal income tax and the public works program as examples. He said he understands that financial experts and multinational corporations would prefer the money to go to them, "but it will go to families."

– "At the top level, its implementation depends on the prime minister and the minister of economic development," Mr. Orban clarified.

Inflation must be crushed—by force if necessary

On the issue of inflation, PM Orban stressed the need to stop "all types of trickery." He said he knows that while producers are selling their milk for 200 forints, it is being offered in stores for 550 forints.

– "So prices skyrocket as soon as the goods hit the stores. The question is: who is raising the prices and why, and where is the money going?" he asked. For this reason, he has instructed the minister of economic development 

to sit down with retailers and urge restraint. However, if negotiations fail, the minister must draft a plan to forcefully reduce prices.

Ez "This will be a major battle, and it will take a long time," Mr. Orban warned.

He highlighted that inflation hits retirees the hardest, making intervention necessary. He recalled that past VAT reductions primarily benefited retailers, with two-thirds of the savings staying with them. The government wants all savings from VAT cuts to reach retirees, which is why a VAT rebate will be introduced.  – "In the second half of the year, retirees can expect to receive refunds of around 10,000 to 15,000 forints per month," he announced.

New government commissioners 

Regarding Fidesz MEP András László, who was appointed as government commissioner following the USAID scandal, Prime Minister Orbán stated that the work begun by Donald Trump and Elon Musk - the exposure of “a left-wing international network” that finances individuals, organizations, and media outlets to promote specific viewpoints - must be continued. “They bought journalists to write what this network wants the world to believe,” Mr. Orban asserted, citing migration, gender issues, and the war as causes championed by these groups. “The government commissioner will gather information, and based on this, we will draft the necessary legislation and ensure its enforcement,” he added.

Mr. Orban also aims to achieve a breakthrough in stopping the spread of new synthetic drugs. "We must be direct with these dealers: if they continue, they will face severe punishment—so severe that their ears will ring. From March 1, we are launching a manhunt against drug dealers," he declared. He has assigned MP Laszlo Horvath as government commissioner for this task, effective from March 1.

Drug dealers make their living by destroying the lives of other people’s children, and this is no longer just a problem of the upper-middle class, Mr. Orban said. In rural areas, the poorest and most vulnerable communities are being targeted with synthetic concoctions whose composition is unknown.

No more Pride Parade

PM Orban affirmed that the constitution must explicitly state that "a person is either male, or female." While gender ideology has not yet taken hold in Hungary, he acknowledged immense pressure from the Western world, which claims that such views are outdated.

– We are putting a stop to this in Hungary. The former US ambassador, who led the Budapest Pride Parade, is gone, so the event is no longer under any international protection, and it will not take place,

Mr. Orban said. Propagating such views in schools is unacceptable, he said, adding that parents must have the right to protect their children.  – "The world is such that when a person is born, they are either male or female. Gender ideology is in direct opposition to the protection of children," he said.

On the topic of Ukraine’s EU accession, PM Orban reiterated his opposition. "I cannot say that this will always be the case, but right now and in the foreseeable future, it is unimaginable, as it would destroy Hungarian farmers and the national economy," he concluded.

Cover photo: Prime Minister Viktor Orban gives an interview on the ‘Good Morning, Hungary!’ program at Kossuth Radio’s studio on February 21, 2025 (Photo: MTI/Prime Minister’s Press Office/Zoltan Fischer)