Addressing lawmakers after Fidesz’s landslide win in the local election, PM Viktor Orbán told Parliament on Monday, that Sunday’s elections victory had confirmed that the governing parties must continue to pursue policies which are “nation-based”, and follow ideas of a “people’s party” in the upcoming years. Orbán said “it was time to leave an era of ideologies and ‘isms’ behind”.
He said the current situation was fit to further strengthen unity in the country. If this unity is used well, full employment can be reached, Orbán said. He said that while four years ago 3.6 million people were in employment and 1.8 million paid taxes, today these numbers are 4 million each, respectively. Economic growth is above 3% and the jobless rate 8%, he said, adding that 57,000 Roma families took jobs for the first time.
Opposition leaders criticized harshly Orbán’s speech and the policies of the government in response to the Prime Minister’s parliamentary address. Socialist József Tóbiás said that in the past four years the government had deprived municipalities of most of their powers. Gábor Vona, the leader of radical nationalist Jobbik, urged changes in the areas of job creation, the municipal system and issues around the Roma community. Hungary’s future cannot be based on an exposed and dependent country lacking solidarity, András Schiffer, co-leader of the green LMP party told in his response.
via hungarymatters.hu photo: Márta Hegedűs (mno.hu)