Next year, the Széchenyi Card Program will be supported with HUF 290 billion from the budget, which was supported with HUF 130 billion this year, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Tuesday at the anniversary celebration of the Széchenyi Card Program in Budapest. There is no success without self-respect, which is true not only for entrepreneurs, but also for the life of the country, the Prime Minister stated in his speech.

At the ceremony held on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the existence of the Széchenyi Card Program, the Prime Minister emphasized that they have decided to more than double this support.

He added: he could say that "we are not doing it out of our good will, as the interest rates have increased" and thus the interest subsidy, but everyone knows that "we have a difficult year ahead of us", so the decision could have been made not to invest such a large amount in the subsidy.

He explained that HUF 220 billion will also be given to small and medium-sized enterprises that fall into the energy-intensive category, and a factory rescue program will be announced.

The Prime Minister explained: this anniversary would not have happened without Sándor Demján. They could learn from the founder that it is best to undertake the impossible, he also only undertook the impossible, and for this he looked for partners, "so he tricked me by founding the card", he said.

He said: large foreign investments target cities and without large foreign investments, Hungary cannot be successful. But they also need successful Hungarian enterprises, because then Hungary will be a Hungarian country, he declared. He added: in addition to large foreign companies, there must always be a broad, strong, stable Hungarian entrepreneurial layer .

Viktor Orbán stated: "we were right" that the war should not have started, that those who supply weapons are drifting ever closer to war, that sanctions will shake the European economy and that energy sanctions will bring inflation.

At the same time , it can be gratifying to stay out of recession and out of war, he said. He added: "we can also be happy" that it is possible to aim for single-digit inflation by the end of 2023.

He noted: the fact that it is possible to protect families from huge utility costs in such a situation can also be a source of joy.

The prime minister also spoke about the fact that he does not believe that the market is sacred and inviolable, it has its laws, but it is not untouchable and state intervention may indeed be necessary. We are facing a year when the Hungarian economy will not be successful without a strong state that acts at the right time and in the right way .

He believed that we were in an energy crisis that threatened the rapid decline of the entire European industry. Now Europe has to figure out what new system it wants to replace the European economic structure that was abolished this year.

The Prime Minister emphasized that although the 2023 budget has already been adopted, developments have taken place since then, so it must be adapted to the current situation. You can't rely on anyone else, you have to find your own lifeboat, a lifeboat that can protect the population and maintain the functioning of Hungarian companies at the same time.

He said: between 2015 and 2021, we regularly exceeded the growth of the EU, which means that there is a dynamic in the Hungarian economy, but energy prices, inflation and interest rates also affect Hungary.

He sees energy as the most difficult challenge, because in today's changed utility subsidy system, the Hungarian budget gives every household HUF 180,000 every month, because if it didn't, every Hungarian family would have an energy bill that much higher. It is important to maintain this support, he said.

Viktor Orbán emphasized: 2023 will be a period requiring serious effort from everyone. The character of Hungarians is such that when things are going well, they disperse, but in trouble they realize that they can only survive with disciplined cooperation. He added: it is possible to build on this in 2023 as well.

Source: MTI

Photo: Prime Minister's Press Office/Zoltán Fischer