The national consultation sheets can be returned until December 20.
The national consultation is an extremely important tool in the hands of the government to create points of agreement with the Hungarians, said Balázs Hidvéghi, Parliamentary State Secretary of the Prime Minister's Cabinet Office, in Kossuth radio's Vasárnapi Újság program. He indicated:
the questionnaires will be delivered on October 28 and they can be returned until December 20.
The parliamentary state secretary highlighted:
Hungary is the only country in the European Union where people were asked about matters of destiny, the issues that determine the present and the future, and their opinions were taken into account.
Mentioning some of the topics of the current national consultation, speaking about raising the minimum wage to HUF 400,000, he highlighted: they were able to implement a policy of continuous wage increases, which was somewhat broken by Covid, the war, and the flawed sanctions policy, but they are convinced that it is possible to return to wage increases based on economic growth. That's why economic neutrality is necessary, so that we don't close ourselves off, others don't block the opportunity to trade and build economic relations freely, he underlined.
He pointed out:
it is important for wage increases to be based on an agreement between employers and employees, the government plays a mediating role. He can set goals, and if the Hungarians support this, then based on economic growth, the minimum wage of 400,000 forints and the average wage of 1 million forints can be reached within a few years.
They think about the worker's loan: young people starting their careers should be helped with discounted loans so that they can get started in the world of work. This is also among the questions, he said.
Regarding what is new and what would change in the housing subsidies, he explained:
there is a housing crisis that primarily affects the capital. In recent years, the Budapest leadership has not been able to do anything about this, and they have not seen any sound proposals from their side in this matter either. The government is ready to contribute to the improvement of the situation, not only in Budapest, but also in the countryside
he emphasized.
He explained that they use several suggestions that people are asked about.
One example is whether the government should help companies with tax breaks, which then contribute to the rent and housing costs of their own employees. This includes expanding the area of use of the SZÉP card and from now on it can also be used for home renovation. Support so that young people can get housing more easily. For those who are studying, the construction of dormitories can be a solution to help with housing, and they are working to ensure that young people who want to buy their first apartment can get a discounted loan with a 5 percent interest rate.
He noted that an agreement with the banking sector is necessary, since the banks give the loan.
He said about family allowances: people are asked about the family tax allowance, which has been a very important tool for Hungarian tax policy and family support for years, and which Brussels is attacking and wants to force the Hungarian government to abolish.
He underlined: they do not want to abolish them, in fact they think that they should be increased, and that is why they want to double the tax allowance for children in the coming years.
They are also thinking about the elderly, asking people's opinions on whether they want the 13th month pension to become a permanent part of pension benefits.
He pointed out: the coverage of the measures is on the one hand in the budget, on the other hand in the resources to which the Hungarian budget has access, and in the growth potential they are talking about.
He also touched on the fact that they will not wait until December 20 to open the first returned envelopes, but will constantly look at what opinions are expressed by the people, because the discussions on these issues are taking place, and the next year's budget is being discussed.
Balázs Hidvéghi also spoke about the fact that migration practically determines the events of the last 10 years in Europe. Hungary has taken a very firm, consistent and unchanged position since the beginning: it rejects illegal migration and immigration to the territory of the European Union, and for its part it has prevented this, he stated. He recalled that they built a fence, reinforced the protection of the border with soldiers and policemen, and they do not accept the ongoing and recurring desire of Brussels to force Hungary to accept migrants who came to the Union illegally, to "surrender" . Regarding the punishment imposed on Hungary due to the migration policy, he said: I would like to see the position of the Hungarians clearly. In our opinion, this punishment is outrageous and unacceptable.
It will be an important signal if the Hungarians agree on this, and it will also be decisive for future government decisions and steps
he emphasized.
MTI
Featured image: Róbert Hegedüs/Eurassia
