Remarks of Viktor Orbán before the Summit
Porto, 7 th May 2021
Thank you very much for providing us chance to talk to you anyway.
I just would like to share some of my experiences. You know, I have been Prime Minister for 16 years and during these 16 years there was only one issue in my mind, to find an answer how we can manage to gather a full employment economy with modern, competitive market economy. Theoretically it was sometimes said that it is impossible but I invested 16 years to find an answer at the level of the practise. And the conclusion I can give you briefly is that it is possible. So we reduced the unemployment rate from 12 per cent down close to 3, and just getting out of this pandemic we are again very close to that. So my answer is that if we would like to have a good social policy and a competitive economy at the same time, we have to connect properly – which is defined very much by culture anyway – our tax policy with social policy. So we have a strong social policy but we have at the same time a very aggressive tax reduction policy. So we have a flat tax 15% income. 15. And we have a company taxation which is 9 anyway, and at the same time if you would like to have that full employment, as we call a workfare society, you have to find a way to combine all this with a strong family policy. In Hungary we spend 5 percent of our GDP to support families because family is the strong background for labour participation. So supporting families is good for labour market, as well. So my answer is that if we combine properly social policy, aggressive tax reduction and a pro-family policy that could result a full employment society. Exactly as we have. Plus on the very important remarks from the Polish Prime Minister anyway, we will introduce not to pay any tax, income tax by those who are younger than 25. And that was a good practice is Poland and I hope that it will work in Hungary, as well. And finally may I have just one remark, don’t forget that during this period the most important social issue is the vaccine, to get vaccine. So if you are not able to provide vaccines for the people there is no reserve for social policy. So I would suggest accelerating to get as many vaccines as you can, and don’t make an ideological issue of it. So all vaccine is good which is secure and given to the people.
So thank you very much.
Answers of Viktor Orbán to the press
Porto, 8th May 2021
Are you fully committed with the conclusion of this summit?
We have this special model. We don’t believe that one size fits all, we have our own social model concentrating on full employment which we are very close to anyway. So I think what we put together what we call workfare society… Do you understand it? Workfare society. It’s based on full employment, strong family policy, 5% of GDP for family subsidizing. So we have a system working quite well. So we are ready to share our experiences.
Then the agenda ‘gap between men and women’ was difficult to initiate for you?
No, no. The fact is that men and women should be treated equally, and it is easy for us because it is our principle. The only difficulty is to use the term ‘gender’ because we, Christians consider gender as an ideological motivated expression which meaning is not clarified at all. You know, it is sometimes something between man and woman. So we would not like to be mixed up ideological dispute with the strong commitment equality between men and women. So we always propose instead of saying gender equality to use equality men and women. But it is always rejected. They don’t like the Christian approach. So that is the reason they always reject it. But anyway, that is part of the European politics.
Will this be an obstacle these days?
Sorry?
The semantics. Will this be an obstacle these days?
No, I don’t think so. We always manage it. We have some disputes but finally find the route.
—
Translation provided by the International Communications Office of the Hungarian government.
