Employees working in the child welfare system will receive a 20-25 percent wage hike, with the first half of the raise arriving in November and the second in January, Magyar said.

At the same time, he said the measure was not a full solution, as wages are "humiliatingly low" in law enforcement and healthcare too.

"We have a lot to do, but everyone will see that education, healthcare and child protection are priorities for this government," he said.

He said exact figures were as yet uncertain as the upcoming increase of the minimum wage and tax cuts would also factor in the final sums.

He added that the findings of the child protection report presented on Saturday were shocking. The system had reached the brink of collapse, and the only reason it had not collapsed was because there were many thousands of dedicated professionals who had performed superhuman work for humiliating wages and under humiliating conditions, he said.

Magyar recalled that they had promised before the election that the situation in child protection would be a top priority for the Tisza government, "the budget will be open-ended," and every effort would be made to ensure that the tens of thousands of children in the child protection system had everything they needed to grow into happy and well-adjusted adults.

The decision to provide this funding had been taken now because the situation in child protection is such that it is not possible to wait for the 2027 budget, he said. He added that the funding announced was a crisis fund, which will be used to launch specialist programmes and to fund specific developments, such as the creation of 180 new places.

He said he considered this to be "a stopgap measure", whilst they continued to work on medium- and long-term solutions. They are also working to ensure that, by the end of the term of office, there will be no child protection institution where the most essential refurbishments and improvements have not been carried out, Magyar said.

Meanwhile, the government will "significantly" raise the family allowance in 2027, Magyar said, adding that "the raise will happen, like so many of our commitments, one step at a time." At the same time, he said they had inherited a 8.3 percent budget deficit from the previous government, but the Tisza government had cut that deficit by 1,000 billion forints (EUR 2.75bn) in three months.

He added that the government's most important task was to maintain budgetary balance, reduce the deficit and to make the operation of the state cheaper so that more money can flow to people, he said.

Those factors will play a role when the government determines wage hikes for public servants, PIT cuts or raising the family allowance, he said.

"I can guarantee a large-scale hike in family allowance," he said, noting that the benefit had stayed the same since 2008.

Magyar also said that a package of child protection legislation would be submitted to parliament later in the day.

In addition to amending the rules on adoption and preventing infants from being kept in hospital for months or years without medical justification, the legislation would also tighten regulations on "unnecessary and explicit depictions of sexuality".

That would include tightening of regulations on public and political advertising, he said. "Month by month, week by week, the situation is deteriorating as far as young people are concerned. The deluge of negative influences, explicit, violent and pornographic content they are exposed to must be restricted at all costs."

He said that there is a good chance that, by passing the legislation, the fine imposed by the Court of Justice of the European Union could be avoided, and half a billion euros in EU funding, which could be used for educational purposes, could be made available.

Meanwhile, one of the government's priorities would be to help families so that children do not have to be removed from their families, as this is the worst outcome for the children and the most costly for the state, he said.

On the issue of adoption by same-sex couples, he said it was unacceptable that a minister or a politician, rather than a professional, should decide where a child should be placed and where they would be best cared for.

Regarding specific legislative amendments, he said that it was not the role of the prime minister or a party leader to determine where children are best placed.

"Love is free, it is a fundamental right, and in a humane country this cannot be called into question, we do not incite hatred against our fellow human beings on the grounds of their sexual orientation or other affiliations," he said.

Magyar expressed hope that the body responsible for overseeing the constitutional drafting process would be established by the end of September.

He said that the committee could include, amongst others, the President of the Republic, the Constitutional Court, a representative of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, as well as deans of law faculties and legal experts.

He added that the aim was to create a constitution that involves everyone, where everyone can express their opinion, "whether they are religious, atheist, from the countryside or Budapest, homosexual or heterosexual."

"We want a constitution that everyone accepts, respects and abides by," he said, adding that he expected the constitutional drafting process to be a lengthy one.

Magyar said "the aim is definitely to have a new constitution and a new electoral law," adding that it would be more practical to adopt the constitution first, as this must be ratified by a referendum.

In response to the suggestion that these two pieces of legislation highlighted the extent of the difference between the new and the previous political systems, Magyar said the Tisza community was very diverse, but they were certainly in agreement that they had not been fighting to "build a system in any way that would be similar to the previous one".

Magyar emphasised the importance of regular public updates to ensure people "do not lose touch with reality" and can hold the government to account.

Commenting on Viktor Orban’s interview late on Sunday, he said the former prime minister had threatened prosecutors, police, financial investigators and leaders of the National Asset Recovery and Protection Office (NVVH), "rather than accepting responsibility or making a statement." Magyar underscored his government’s commitment to the rule of law and democratic accountability.

He noted that opposition parties now have the opportunity to nominate members to the Constitutional Court and the Independent Public Media Board. However, previous governing parties "cried authoritarianism" and did not put forward candidates for certain bodies, while those nominated by opposition Our Homeland to the NVVH had withdrawn themselves form consideration.

"Absolutely, we would like parity in nominations and coordination," Magyar said, stressing the need for broad participation in the constitutional process.

Asked about a report published on the 444.hu website, Magyar dismissed reports that a crisis had erupted and a "mini-coup" had taken place in the Tisza party last November. "I have full confidence in [Tisza deputy leader] Mark Radnai", he said.

Magyar said he was very proud of the Tisza community. "It is natural for conflicts to arise in a new political community where people come from various backgrounds, directions, and family histories with different worldviews. Those conflicts have been discussed and resolved," he said.

"With us, it isn't like on the other side, where one leader, the pasha, thinks something and whatever they say goes, and anyone who disagrees is expelled from the political community." He emphasised trust is unwavering in all members of the Tisza community.

"We started together, we fought together, we won together, and we will move forward together," Magyar declared.

Asked whether "strong parliamentary language might soften" over time to reduce polarisation, the prime minister said: "I understand that criticism. We are taking a very different tone when talking to voters and civilians from the one used with the black-belt criminals sitting in parliament."

"It is very hard to hold myself back, even though I know I should, when the people who ruined and indebted our country, humiliated people and called millions of Hungarians bedbugs, when they carry on where they left off rather than taking responsibility," he said, pledging "to make an effort because the responsibility of those in government is always bigger."

Noting that he hadn't been invited to speak on public media in the two years when Tisza was the biggest opposition force in the country, he welcomed that "public media has regained its freedom and independence". 

"I am also happy to see that I was not the first such guest; the representatives of opposition parties have already spoken here. Ensuring that everyone can voice their opinion is an important part of a free, objective and independent public media," he added.


Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881.

MTI photo 

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