Hungarian Conservative

The Oeconomus Economic Research Foundation released an analysis regarding publishing and cultural institutions recovering after the pandemic on the occasion of the Day of Hungarian Culture.

‘The divisions inside the conservative movement are less over what should be done, and more over how far we might go, and the right answer is always as far as possible. In a democracy, the path to political success is always practical: for us, that means identifying the problems that worry people most and finding credible and pragmatic ways to make change for the better.’

‘Just as a mother clings to her children, the Motherland also clings to her children, connecting Hungarian communities within and beyond our borders as if by an umbilical cord,’ President Novák emphasized in her remarks.

Csaba Lantos stated that to aid families, the government continues to provide reduced utility prices, making Hungary home to the cheapest household natural gas and electricity prices in Europe.

Mihály Varga pointed out during the introductory economic policy roundtable discussion that the government has taken measures to reduce inflation risks, which have yielded results. This is confirmed by the analyses of major credit rating agencies, which are ‘filled with positive findings,’ he said.

In the autumn legislative package, the government will broaden the competencies of general practitioners, for example, they will regain prescription rights for certain medications that were previously taken away.

Enumerating the factors strengthening the positive outlook for the economy, the Hungarian finance minister stated that the country’s export performance is very good, and in terms of population, Hungary ranks 94th among the countries of the world, while it stands at 34th place in terms of export indicators.

Regarding healthcare salary increases, the minister said the government will continue its two-stage wage hike programme. In addition to the 18 per cent raise in July this year, 200 billion forints have been allocated for this purpose in the draft budget for next year. The funds for pharmaceutical subsidies, cash benefits in health insurance, and the procurement of ambulances will also be expanded.

In a press statement released following his meeting with President Serdar Berdymukhammedov, Viktor Orbán said ‘we need energy to come to Europe from Central Asia,’ and for this, new sources, new routes, and new infrastructure are needed. Turkmenistan can be a ‘great partner’ for Europe and Hungary in this regard, the PM stated.

Navracsics reminded that Hungary is to receive 14 trillion Hungarian forints in cohesion funds for the 2021-2027 EU budget cycle. Of this amount, 4 trillion forints have already been received and are continuously being used for rural development.

The Hungarian President emphasised at the HLM on the review of the Sendai Framework in New York that despite Hungary being rather small, it always rushes to the aid of countries in need.

National Bank Governor Matolcsy reminded that during the coronavirus pandemic, the crisis was successfully managed thanks to the joint effort of the government, the central bank, the banking system, the business sector, and families, and the crisis was solved within fourteen months.

FBI Director Christopher Wray stated on Tuesday that they believe the coronavirus may have escaped from a laboratory before causing a global pandemic. CNN reported as early as 2021 that the FBI was somewhat confident within their organisation that the virus had broken out through a lab leak.

Eurostat released its statistics on excess mortality rates in the EU for December 2022. The numbers show a staggering 19 per cent increase in the region overall. However, in Hungary, the same number is a mere 2.8 per cent.

The latest public opinion survey from 2021 examines a wider range of V4 members’ self- and group perceptions, including pandemic topics.

The PM told in his interview on Kossuth Rádió on Friday that close to 3.5 million people have already received their first vaccine doses, and over 1.3 million received both.

The survey, conducted by the Eötvös Lóránd University’s (ELTE) Psychology Institute, asked more than 700 scientists and researchers about their views and experiences regarding remote working during the pandemic.