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ORBÁN: 'HUNGARY BEFORE ALL ELSE'

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in his state-of-the-nation address detailed his government's climate protection action plan and its goals to continue developing the country, concluding it with the motto "Hungary before all else".
 

Addressing a crowd at Budapest’s Várkert Bazár, Orbán said that preserving and modernising jobs would remain an important goal for Hungary in 2020 and beyond. “If we have jobs, we have everything,” he said. Orbán said that in terms of growth “Europe’s economy, and in particular the euro zone region, has simply stalled”, noting that 85% of Hungary’s exports went to those countries. “This means that their problem is our problem,” he said. In 2019, Germany’s industrial output shrank considerably, whereas Hungary’s increased by 5%, said Orbán.
Hungary must focus its efforts in 2020 and in the years to come on retaining jobs, he said. In order to achieve that goal, taxes must be reduced, Orbán said, pledging to cut payroll taxes and taxes on small businesses. “Further, we will preserve the value of pensions, in line with the agreement we concluded with pensioners,” he said. The prime minister said that in 2020 and 2021 the government’s focus would be on continuing to develop the country. “Our job is to prepare the nation for the trials that await us in the coming years,” Orbán said.