“There is no hurry. Today we are in a position in which we meet all the [euro convergence] criteria,” Varga told the paper.

Like the Czech Republic and Poland, Hungary has not pegged the forint’s exchange rate to the euro, he noted. “This is a favourable position to be in; it is up to us when we decide to take the next step,” Varga said.

On the topic of jobs, the minister said that as long as just one person is unemployed in Hungary, the government has a responsibility to create more jobs so that everyone can find work.

Varga said Hungary sees family policies, rather than immigration, as the answer to its demographic challenges.

MTI photo: Bruzák Noémi