The Prime Minister commented on the question of whether Hungary is the “black sheep” of Europe or a success story. The lecture was followed by a Q&A session giving students the opportunity to receive first-hand information about the ideas of the Hungarian Government.

In his speech, Viktor Orbán stressed that Hungary has a good chance of ascending to join the ranks of Europe’s most successful states which are able to reduce their public debt, boost competitiveness and preserve political stability.

He said that the Government has carried out major reforms over the past two years: for instance, taxes on banks and multinational companies were introduced to ensure equal burden-sharing, beneficial taxation schemes and the reduction of household expenses helped strengthen the position of the middle classes and families, and a new Fundamental Law, Civil and Labour Codes were adopted.

He said results testify to the fact that Hungary is doing better and is successfully resolving the crisis. The Government has been able to reduce state debt, has kept the budget deficit below 3 per cent and the employment rate is improving. Now it is economic growth which must be ensured.

Prime Minister Orbán believes that Central-Europe will undergo dynamic development with which the region will be able to contribute to the renewal and reinforcement of Europe. There is a good chance that Hungary will become one of the most successful countries of the European Union.

He also highlighted that the crisis had created opportunities for Central European states, adding that he is confident that growth in Europe will be strongly connected to the region. In the next fifteen to twenty years, the Central-European region will reach a higher degree of integration with regard to macro-economic indicators and the structure of the economy, and hopefully, Hungary will also join the ranks in terms of its economic growth. He concluded that European growth is of exceptional importance for the V4 countries.

In response to a question regarding the independence of the National Bank of Hungary in view of the appointment of György Matolcsy as its new Governor, the Prime Minister said the bank’s independence is guaranteed by law.

On Hungarian-Polish relations, he said strong cooperation in Central Europe should be built on security policy and trade, adding that the basis for cooperation is already given.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is attending the V4 summit in Warsaw along with the Heads of Government of the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia. The participation of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Francois Hollande gives special significance to this year’s event, as they will be able to draw wide attention to the importance of the Central European region.

The meeting of V4 Prime Ministers aims at reviewing the work carried out so far by the Polish V4 Presidency and the most important issues on the European Union’s agenda, including competitiveness and the future of the monetary union.

Source: kormany.hu