The Prime Minister said the question arises: what should happen to the money that the economy is able to raise over and above the sum necessary for the normal operation of the country? In his view, it is simplest to give it back to those who worked for it, in particular to families who bore the brunt of the burden during the crisis.
Those who have children should be refunded the money they worked for and paid into the budget in the form of taxes maximum up to the average income, the Prime Minister stressed. This is a just and novel idea which will be included in the national consultation as it is good to secure the clear support of the people, he said.
He observed that the pension premium is about the fact that if the economy grows, pensioners should not be left out of its positive effect, and if the restarting of the economy proves to be successful, the pension premium will be higher, too.
Mr Orbán said there will be major changes in the wake of the pandemic, the economy will not be the same again. He stressed that we are living in an era of pandemics and mass migration, we must prepare for the challenges that follow from this, and therefore the consultation will include questions about the epidemic, migration and economic issues.
He said “armies of migrants are hammering at almost every door of Europe,” at the doors that seal land and sea routes. At the same time last year, the number of illegal border-crossing attempts was around 10,000; this year to date, however, as many as 38,000 attempts have been made, meaning that the pressure of migration is mounting, he said, adding that the issue of the pandemic will go away and migration will return to the focus of European politics.
The Prime Minister continued by saying that he would like to toughen the Hungarian position. Hungary clearly rejects migration, but at this point we must say no not only to illegal migration as due to the pandemic it is especially important not to allow any migration at all for two years, he said, observing that a question related to this, too, is featured in the national consultation.
He said, according to the Hungarian government, migration is a bad thing as a matter of course because it is always about the sad fact that a person is born somewhere, is unable to find advancement there and therefore leaves that place. It would be best if everyone found advancement in the place where they were born, and so people must be given help to lead a dignified life in the same place where they were born, he argued.
He took the view that there are situations when people must flee, but the goal is nonetheless to provide them with temporary help and to create dignified circumstances in the places where they were born. Europe is weak in this department, it does not spend enough money on reconstruction, he concluded.
According to Mr Orbán, solidarity among people is important, and many historical events prove that trouble does not result in isolation and seclusion, but leads to a change in relations between people. Among members of the business community, one can indeed observe now the phenomenon that instead of finding prosperity individually, they must help each other, he said, adding that the Hungarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has developed brilliant proposals.
The Prime Minister asked people to also have the second dose of the vaccine administered. Those who do not do so will be deleted from the immunity records. He also asked those who are eligible to take advantage of the ten-day extra leave they will receive.
He said if we want to see a safer and less vulnerable economy, families, too, must have more security. It is always those in the lowest income-bracket who are in the most uncertain situation, this is why it is necessary to increase the minimum wage. However, this is not only a question of will, we must strike a balance between the minimum wage increase and the preservation of the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), he said.
He highlighted that it is necessary to reach an agreement with SMEs about what kind of help they need in order to raise the necessary funds as part of their operations. What they are working on is to reach this HUF 200,000 threshold in which case the guaranteed wage minimum will be even higher and this will push wages up, Mr Orbán stressed.
Regarding the European Football Championship, the Prime Minister said this is a great pan-European event, and it is a fantastic achievement that Hungary can also participate. Earlier, the championship was threatened by the pandemic, while now it is being threatened by the “ideological chaos” which is a result of the psychological inheritance of former slave-owning countries, he said.
He pointed out that football is about sport, and things that do not belong there should not be allowed on the pitch. Hungary was not a slave-owning country, it did not have such problems, and in our country taking the knee means something else, he said, adding that the Hungarian people expect their players not to surrender, but to go out there and fight, and if necessary, to die standing; this is why they represent the nation.