Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was also among the speakers on the first day of the Fifth Demographic Summit on 14 September. In his remarks, Orbán spoke prominently about the importance of chalking up a ‘Hungarian Family Policy 2.0’ programme.
The Hungarian Prime Minister took the opportunity to laud Italy in his speech. He declared: ‘The friendship between the two countries is ironclad, because both nations are home to freedom fighters. Both countries know that there is no freedom without authority, and that families are the foundation of nations.’
He decried the anti-family tendencies in the EU, highlighting
the absurdity of the European Parliament passing a resolution that said that men can give birth to children.
The prime minister stated that as opposed to the individualism that is placed on a pedestal in the West, Hungary believes in family, homeland, and God, and stressed that real freedom comes when one lives in a family, with all the obligations that go with that, adding that those who are alone are not free, only lonely.
It is out of that conviction that the Hungarian government developed its family-friendly policies. Orbán noted that the first phase of his government’s family policy has been completed, but in order to achieve the desired demographic objectives, they need to enact a second phase. He opined that the previously introduced tools of family policy are ‘not sufficient’, therefore there is a need for new ones.
Speaking about both past and future policies, he envisioned five key targets in Hungary’s family policy: incentivizing childbirth; aiding home ownership; prioritizing mothers in family policy; promoting family-friendliness nationwide; and ensuring legal protection for families.
Regarding details, Orbán announced some new elements of his family programme. One of the most important of these announcements was
the extension of the personal income tax (PIT) exemption for mothers.
Previously, mothers of four or more children were exempt from paying PIT for life. Now, the exemption is being expanded to include mothers who have three children. Orbán jokingly remarked:
‘We will extend this [exemption] to the mothers of three; I am just waiting for the moment when the minister of finance’s attention wanes.’
While in more generic terms, President Katalin Novák also spoke about what makes a society family-friendly. As we previously reported, she presented ‘the 12 points of the Hungarian families’ freedom fight’. Among other things, the manifesto outlined the importance of ‘the freedom to raise our children, free from harmful ideologies’, having ‘pro-family’ decision-makers in power, and opposing ‘anti-family’ decisions on the international level. It also touched upon practical topics, for instance the importance of the ‘safety for our families’, meaning ‘our kindergartens, schools, villages, cities, country, and borders’ to be secure, as well as adequate financial support for those, who raise children. The manifesto outlined that ‘we must not let those who choose to have children be worse off than those who do not’. It also called for respect for the elderly, supporting housing for the youth, and help women to harmonize their roles in career and motherhood, among other things.
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Sources: Hungarian Conservative/Hungary Today/About Hungary/24.hu
