By: Judi Tamara (Magyar Nemzet)
Hungary agrees with the objectives of the action plan negotiated in Porto. Continuously increasing employment, effective adult education and the fight against poverty are among our priorities. With all due modesty, we can point out at the summit that the Hungarian government started implementing these goals much earlier in order to lead by example to its European partners. By 2030, we want to be one of the European countries where you can best live, work and raise children, said Judit Varga in an interview with Magyar Nemzet . Speaking of Hungary’s successes, the Minister of Justice said at the social summit in Porto:
While the final declaration of Porto promises an employment rate of 78 percent in the EU by 2030, the indicator in the case of Hungary is already around seventy-five percent.
“So there is reason to be ambitious. We have set ourselves the goal of practically achieving full employment, around eighty-five percent. The same trend applies to adult education, where we are also well above the EU average, ”emphasized the minister, adding that the Hungarian work-oriented model was initially criticized by the European Commission after 2010, but its successes across the board Continent are recognized. “When work is valued by society and the government leaves as much money as possible in the pockets of workers, the economy can recover to the extent that it increases wages on its own.
Powers of the member states inviolable
The minister also pointed out that the appropriate mix must be found individually for each EU country, as the EU treaties also refer to the competences of the member states in social issues. “Let the member states decide by which means they want to achieve the goals. Let’s set the milestones together, but don’t let the EU have a say in how we achieve them. Hungary is not alone in this view; the Nordic countries in particular think similarly. The Swedish social model can be excellent because it is unique and has been developed for one’s own abilities, ”says Judit Varga. In her opinion, it is above all the southern Member States who are striving for a Community approach to social policy.
However, the Porto summit is not about treaty changes or ideological debates, but about an inspiring exchange of experiences between the member states.
“It is not just a discussion at the level of heads of state or government and ministers, but a real presence of all stakeholders, including the social partners. The Hungarian delegation also organizes bilateral meetings on an ongoing basis. We met the head of the European umbrella organization for SMEs as well as ministers and EU commissioners. The representatives of the Portuguese EU Council Presidency were also relieved to be able to work online for a long time. I think they really deserve to organize such a vibrant and inspiring event and they seem to be doing their best. Everyone is happy that we can finally meet in person, ”added Judit Varga.
The left-liberal press is in bad faith
In response to the news in the Hungarian bourgeois press that Hungary and Poland had objected to the word “gender” in the final document of the summit, the Minister of Justice reiterated that the talks in Porto were not about ideology, but about the Covid crisis and solving the everyday problems of real people went.
“Hungary has joined a union in which equality between men and women is a fundamental principle in the Treaties. If we look at the situation from an employment perspective, the Hungarian government is very much in favor of reducing the wage gap. But we do not want to add any ideological elements to this intention.
Both Hungarian and English, and indeed all the official languages of the EU, offer the possibility of writing a text that reflects reality and aims to eliminate all forms of discrimination between men and women, ”emphasized Judit Varga and added added that Hungary has several draft texts for the document to be adopted and that it is certain that a compromise will be reached with the other EU countries. “I regard the left-wing liberal news reports as malicious. As I said, one should not impose an ideological position on countries that they disagree with. For me there is no question that this matter should not affect the success of the Porto conference ”, said the Justice Minister.
Source: UME
