Hungarian Conservative

In 2020 and 2021 both the number of births and the fertility rate increased in Hungary during the COVID-19 pandemic because the poverty and disadvantage of those with children relative to childless people decreased to such an extent that having children was no longer a financial disadvantage in 2019 and 2021.

Hungary’s comprehensive family support system has garnered international attention; in order to become acquainted with the policies of Hungary, family-friendly countries frequently consult with government organizations, including the Mária Kopp Institute for Demography and Families.

‘We believe that the Hungarian model is the right one, whereby asylum applications must be made outside the EU and refugees are only allowed to come after proper checks have been carried out. This is so because the Hungarian government holds, in accordance with international law, that refugees are entitled to asylum in the first safe country they reach, not in any, distant country of their preference.’

During the Hungarian presidency, the debate must continue on whether it is preserving or eliminating connectivity that makes the EU stronger and more competitive, János Bóka emphasized in his lecture at the event marking the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the Hungarian Youth Association.

The combined effects of the expansion of women’s education from the beginning of the 1990s, and Act CLIV of 1997 on health, regulating infertility treatments, caused a significant increase in the number of twin births in Hungary. Among the secondary school aged population (birth cohort 2004–2008), based on statistics, at least one set of twins is bound to occur in a class of 30 students.

In a telephone interview with Hungarian state news agency MTI, Judit Varga, referring to Ukraine’s planned EU integration, highlighted that the Western Balkans countries have been waiting for EU membership for two decades, and called for an approach based on merit in the accession process, avoiding double standards and expedited pathways.

In an interview with a Bács-Kiskun County newspaper, Katalin Novák stressed the importance of making starting a family appealing to young people, the importance of border protection, and her mission to build stronger ties with Hungarian diaspora communities.

Katalin Novák reminded that in the last 30 years, the population of Hungary has decreased by more than 700,000, and the ethnic Hungarian population of the neighbouring countries has also significantly diminished. However, she said, that decline is not something that cannot be stopped. ‘Let the Carpathian Basin be the source of passing on life,’ she declared.

Katalin Novák stressed that the roundtable is not a government agency. Its members will make recommendations to the government and ‘encourage people to contribute to the dialogue,’ she explained. The roundtable comprises representatives of the private and public spheres, as well as the scientific community.

In the interview, President of the Republic Katalin Novák underscored Hungary’s key role in protecting the EU’s Schengen border, highlighted the Hungarian government’s unique family policy, stressed the importance of starting peace talks to end the war on Ukraine, and reiterated Hungary’s support for Israel.

Professor Kollár briefed the PM about the scientific body’s work in the recent period, and the two leaders also discussed key challenges facing Hungary amidst a war, demographic and economic problems, and challenges to national sovereignty.

High interest rates have taken a toll on the Hungarian housing market, as they have in virtually every country. The expanded CSOK programme by the Orbán administration can do a lot to revitalize the market, all the while incentivizing child bearing in the country.

‘We are waiting for Swedish government officials to reassure members of the Hungarian parliament; our goal is to support Sweden’s NATO accession with the largest possible parliamentary majority, similarly to Finland’s,’ the political director of the prime minister said.

While Africa and West Asia have seen a population explosion, the countries of Eastern Europe and East Asia struggle with dwindling populations.