The Prime Minister, who was last interviewed on Kossuth Radio at the end of August, said in the context of the 15th anniversary of the leaking of the Őszöd speech that it was “a chilling moment” in Hungarian politics, and it is terrifying to think that the person who created the whole situation, delivered the speech, deceived the people, seized power with lies, took people’s money away and almost bankrupted the country is still the leader of the Left.
“So what we’re talking about is not the past, but the past living with us that is still here and wants to keep returning,” he said in reference to Ferenc Gyurcsány.
At the same time, according to the Prime Minister, it is not only that “people were beaten bloody,” were deceived and the country was governed against them, but that this was also preceded and followed by economic measures as they took away the 13th monthly pension and the family support system, they took away a monthly salary from the people, and doubled and tripled the prices of gas and electricity.
He added that everything that Ferenc Gyurcsány and his associates had taken away from the people has been given back to them by the incumbent government as there is a family support system in place again, they have restarted the housing support schemes and are increasing wages, the minimum wage will be raised to two hundred thousand forints, and if pensioners are also given back the 13th monthly pension that was taken away from them, it will be possible to say that “we have left the Őszöd speech entirely behind us”.
Stressing the importance of the latest national consultation, the Prime Minister highlighted that we are facing a difficult decade, we will be living in an era of waves of migration and pandemics, and this is something we must prepare for. Therefore, it is good if people have the opportunity to tell the government which safe points in life it is that they insist on in this new era.
In his view, this is why it was necessary talk in the national consultation about the minimum wage, the need for Hungarian vaccine manufacturing capacity and families. Regarding the latter, he added that the European Parliament keeps wanting to move the raising of children from the remit of parents to the hands of political activists, but these attempts must be resisted, and also on the issue of migration, we must stand up to Brussels for the sovereignty and powers of Hungary.
In the context of the Pope’s visit to Hungary, Mr Orbán highlighted that his meeting with the head of the Catholic Church where the Holy Father referred to the fight in Hungary for the protection of families as the impost important from the respect of the future of Europe confirmed his view on the matter.
He said at their meeting, Pope Francis “used harsh words,” and said we cannot allow families to be relativised because “the family consists of a father, a mother and children, full stop.”
“He, too, believes that powerful forces are at work, especially in Brussels, in the Brussels bureaucracy to relativise the family, and used harsh words that I myself have never used before. He said we cannot allow families to be relativised. The family consists of a father, a mother and children. Full stop. […] This is not up for debate. In fact, he even said ‘go ahead,’ meaning ‘just carry on, onward’ and we will, he said.
Changing the subject, regarding the coronavirus epidemic the Prime Minister said it is better to have a third vaccine than to not have it.
He highlighted that if anyone registers for it, they can get the third dose within two weeks in any part of the country. He added that the gravity of the fourth wave of the epidemic will depend on how many people will have themselves vaccinated.
Those who do not have themselves vaccinated are at risk, the Prime Minister warned, encouraging both the elderly and the young to have themselves inoculated. At the same time, he indicated that the government is unable to impose mandatory vaccination on everyone as a general measure because “Hungarians wouldn’t stomach that”.
Moving on to questions concerning the economy, he said “it doesn’t matter what Brussels does,” Hungary rests on such sound financial foundations that they will be able to start all important developments that are necessary in the wake of the pandemic. He highlighted that the funds to be made available by Brussels as recovery funds for the Member States are all credit-based, and if Hungary is not given access to them for political reasons, it will go out to the money markets on its own to obtain the missing funds.
The Finance Minister “did a genius of a job of this,” and with a complex arrangement he brought to Hungary the most favourable credit facility perhaps of all time, he stated.
He also said today in Hungary more people have jobs than at any time after 1990; this is why the economy is working. “It’s good for everyone to know that after 2010, instead of this benefit-type, Gyurcsány-type, socialist-type economic policy that talked people out of work, we have built a workfare economy,” he pointed out.
He added that it is possible to combine a workfare economy with high living standards if Hungary has access to the European Union’s market of 400 million. Therefore, Mr Orbán said “even if it’s falling apart at the seams, we’ll be the last to leave the EU once it has run its course”.