The author of a British newspaper gave a shocking explanation about the alleged driving forces behind the family-friendly ideas of the Hungarian government and its leader.
According to the Guardian article, natalism, i.e. the policy of increasing birth rates, has been revived due to declining birth rates worldwide.
The prime minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, has become one of the prominent figures of right-wing natalism, advocating measures aimed at increasing the country's population. Orbán's natalist measures include waiving the income tax for women who raise at least four children, in order to encourage larger families, writes Kenan Malik.
According to this, Orbán rejects the idea of solving the population decline through immigration and links it to the erosion of Hungary's identity and values.
Orbán links the preservation of racial identity and Western civilization to the increase in the number of births, and opposes non-European immigration, especially those from Muslim communities, labeling them as "invaders", writes the paper's author.
He adds: in addition to supporting natalist politics, Orbán and other right-wing conservatives in Hungary and Poland also advocate traditional gender roles, discourage women from building a career, and argue in favor of staying at home.
The expansion of childcare is seen as devaluing the role of motherhood, and they often take restrictive positions on issues such as abortion, contraception, and LGBTQ rights.
Overall, according to the author, while concerns about the declining birth rate are legitimate, critics say right-wing natalist policies, as exemplified by Viktor Orbán's Hungary, can increase anti-immigration sentiment, promote divisive perceptions of identity, and limit women and the LGBTQ community. rights.
