He affirmed that the cabinet is ready to accept any provision that will guarantee the independence of the central bank, adding that differences remain on technical matters.

He declared himself willing to reword the oath that the head of the central bank must swear on taking office.

Orban said he does not understand why the EU considers it an attack on the independence of the central bank that the salaries of public servants, including MNB governor Andras Simor, should be set at ten times the average salary.

There are no “red lines” which could not be dealt with at IMF talks, he said, but “strategic issues must not be abandoned.”

Any legal amendments required to be made before formal talks begin can be passed by Parliament before the end of February, he added.

Orban said he is currently facing the greatest intellectual challenge of his career in putting the economy right, but insisted that his economic policy is on the right track.

In an interview with HirTV while returning from Brussels to Budapest yesterday, Orban said negotiations between the IMF, the EU and the government can start at any time.

He said no question remains on which the Hungarian government and the European Commission would not understand one another's position."

Source: Hungary Around the Clock

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