Steven N.
Politicians in the united opposition held a press conference on Tuesday to announce their economic policy plans.
If the opposition manages to defeat Fidesz and win the elections, they would reduce minimum wage taxes, create a fairer public procurement law, introduce a strict system of declaring conflicts of interest and the declaration of assets, and demand a joint minimum wage across the European Union.
Márton Ilyés from Momentum said the personal tax system needs to be made more just. For example, the tax on the monthly minimum wage would have to be reduced, as Hungary has the highest minimum wage tax burden in the EU. He also talked about creating local development plans to lift up economically-lagging regions in the county.
Democratic Coalition MP László Varju stated that there will only be a real change in wages if they can manage to create a unified wage across the European Union. As he stated, Hungary needs a minimum wage that does not depend on the Hungarian government.
Another speaker, Dániel Z. Kárpát from Jobbik, pointed out that 74% of Hungarians live on the edge of EU-defined poverty, and that only Bulgarians are poorer than Hungarians. Hungary needs a wage program for nationally-strategic sectors such as police, firefighters, and health care to stop workers in these professions from leaving the country to earn more abroad.
Bence Tordai from Dialogue discussed public procurement legislation, stating that investment projects funded by the government and EU are overpriced, draining the country of money. The opposition would eliminate the system of so-called national economic “priority” investment projects, as taking development projects away from social and professional scrutiny makes it one of Hungary’s most corrupt laws. Tordai also said Hungary should join the Europeaan Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Answering a journalist’s question, Bence Tordai said that a realistic timetable for joining the Eurozone needs to be set, but that it would certainly go beyond a single Parliamentary term.
Another journalist asked whether united opposition prime ministerial candidate Péter Márki-Zay would eliminate the utility price cut program championed by Fidesz. Former television reporter András Simon, now an advisor for the opposition’s campaign, stated that Márki-Zay has never advocated ending the price cuts, but he has said that smart and sustainable utility price cuts such as providing housing insulation are needed instead.
[Magyar Hang][Photo: Jobbik Magyarországért Mozgalom / Facebook]
