The prime minister also said that all migrants that come from the direction of Greece and Serbia, are no longer political refugees by the time they reach Hungary because “they are not coming from the countries they are fleeing”.

Concerning the European Commission’s proposal for a quota of migrants for each country to handle, Orbán said it was a “failed idea” and member states were sure to reject it at an upcoming summit. Hungary’s national consultation concerning migration is “fair and open”, the prime minister said, but admitted that the questions included were not “immigrant-friendly”.

“Why should we love immigrants, when residents see them as a hazard or threat?” He also suggested that Hungary’s leftists, on the other hand, “advocate the more migrants admitted the better”. Meanwhile, the prime minister welcomed plans for closer cooperation between countries using the euro.

At the same time, formalising a dual-speed bloc on the lines of those countries within the euro zone and those outside it would be undesirable, he added. Summing up the achievements of the five years of his government, Orbán said that the financial system is stable, there is no inflation, public utility fees have been cut, and “everybody trusts in the future of the economy”.

He also said that investments are up and the foreign trade turnover is also improving. He added, however, that “we are still not living as we’d like” and “it is now time to work to ensure ... middle-class conditions”.

The government requests more consultations from cabinet members; “it must be made clear that if the government works well, there will be more jobs, fewer taxes, increased security and a more comfortable life,” he said.

The reform of building regulation system and tax rules in Hungary will be the government’s two symbolic themes of the next six months. Orbán said that building regulations are opaque and make life hard for ordinary people. For this reason “radical administrative cutbacks” must be implemented. There is also room for improvement in terms of tax procedures, he added.

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