Another female minister to be appointed in Hungary
EnglishWe need to focus our attention on the living standards of families, so the government will create a new ministerial post and appoint Katalin Novák, Secretary of State for Family and Youth, from 1 October to be minister without portfolio responsible for families and family affairs, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced in an interview with M1.
Viktor Orbán recalled that the government had committed itself to creating as many new jobs as the virus would destroy. Figures for March and at present show that the government has kept its promise and the number of jobs will even increase in the remaining period of the year.
The government has put a lot of energy and money into launching investments: Hungarian businesses are not weakening, they have been strengthened instead, he said.
According to the Prime Minister, there is one sector facing a really serious problem, as in Budapest almost all tourism was based on foreign visitors and now it has totally collapsed. The business model followed by hotels and restaurants in Budapest – based on the fact that more than ninety percent of guest nights were spent by foreigners - will not be sustainable either this year or next year, he added.
In Budapest, a new business model needs to be implemented; and special help must be given to taxi drivers, caterers, hoteliers, and those working in the tourism sector in general.
The Prime Minister pointed out that the government is providing help to everyone; it reduced contributions, for example, which affects those living in the capital, but besides that a special programme is also needed. He added that it was good news that Budapest has more than one hundred billion forints of free funds that can be used for this purpose.
The PM also said that if everyone carries out their duties calmly and follows the rules, the lives of the elderly will be protected, the living standards of families will not drop and Hungary will continue to function. This is possible, and the government's war plan can ensure and also guarantee that this will happen. The main point now is not acting fast, but a calm, predictable government policy, Mr Orbán said.
In the interview, the Prime Minister also spoke about the fact that as well as managing the crisis, the government is also dealing with long-term issues. He explained that there is a difference between the V4 countries and Central Europe, and Western Europe. The west is committed to an open society in which borders are irrelevant, migrants are admitted and even invited and they imagine a mixed world, ready to live together with people from foreign cultures.
Here in Central Europe we do not want this, "we Hungarians want to remain a Christian Hungarian civilization," the PM said in an exclusive interview with M1.
