Political leaders have a responsibility to make Hungary a country that is free of migrants or terrorism but has public safety, Orbán said. “I have certain ideas as to how Hungary can be made into a high-ranking country in Europe in terms of the quality of life, and we are not as far from achieving this as some might think.”

When asked whether accepting a certain amount of migrants could help Hungary overcome its labour shortage, Orbán said the “more logical” way to solve the problem would be by increasing birth rates. “A nation that pins its survival on admitting migrants will ultimately not survive because such a country will gradually feel less responsibility for sustaining its own population, and migrants will eventually end up making the country their own.”

The prime minister noted that Hungary’s population is currently in decline with the death rate outstripping the number of births, but added that each year Hungary takes a step towards stopping the decline. He noted that the birth rate in 2015 was up by 0.2% compared to 2014.

Orbán said studies indicate that many young Hungarians would be willing to have an additional child but cite the quality of life, a lack of job opportunities or not owning a home as obstacles to having more children. “I’m trying to remove these obstacles with the policies the government implements and we are gradually turning into a country with a labour shortage from a country with high unemployment,” he said.

“With the government’s home creation programme I am trying to provide young people with the opportunity to buy homes in which they can raise two or three children without any difficulties.”

The prime minister said the government is aiming to provide young people with an education that can make them feel confident that they are just as well-versed in their respective fields as people in Germany or the UK.

Concerning the government’s Modern Cities Programme, Orbán said that like county capitals, county-level local governments will also be given the chance to decide how to spend development funds received from the government.

On Tuesday the prime minister signed an agreement with Szekszárd Mayor Rezső Ács that will see more than 33 billion forints (EUR 107m) worth of developments carried out in the city.

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