Mate Kocsis - Photo: Facebook

Mi Hazank: New structure fails to address the needs or priorities of Hungarian society

Kocsis: New government structure in line with Hungary’s interests

The structure of the incoming government reflects the expectations of voters and Hungary's national interests, the ruling Fidesz party's group leader said in parliament on Tuesday. It is geared towards overcoming the challenges facing Hungary and adapting to global upheavals, he added.

In the April general election, Hungarians voted for civic governance, peace, security, supporting families and upholding utility price and tax cuts, Mate Kocsis said in a debate on a bill on the list of Hungary’s ministries. This is what the Fidesz-led alliance has been given another two-thirds majority to represent, and these issues must be taken into consideration when determining how the new government operates, he said.

Kocsis cited Prime Minister Viktor Orban as saying that the years ahead held manifold challenges for Europeans. Kocsis said the ruling parties put the security of the Hungarian people first, adding that this was a prime factor in how the government was structured.

Kocsis said that under the bill, the new government would consist of an agriculture ministry, interior ministry, ministry of construction and investment, defence ministry, justice ministry, cultural and innovation ministry, ministry of foreign affairs and trade, finance ministry, technology and industry ministry as well as the cabinet office, the prime minister’s office.

Turning to the challenges facing Hungary, Kocsis said the agriculture sector would have to endure global price increases and the effects of the war. Hungary needs an agriculture ministry that places priority on domestic food security, competitiveness and quality, he said.

Preserving peace and security is also among the incoming government’s most important tasks, Kocsis said. The proposals on restructuring the country’s law enforcement agencies serve to boost the work organisation of the interior and defence ministries as well as that of the prime minister, he said.

The new cultural and innovation ministry will focus on matters pertaining to the future and will carry out the tasks required for the implementation of a 21st-century social policy, the group leader said.

Kocsis said the ministry of technology and industry will be similar to the former ministry of innovation and technology but with new and expanded responsibilities.

Concerning the war in Ukraine, he said the ruling parties condemned Russia’s aggression.

A law enumerating eleven ministries in the government was approved by MPs with a vote of 124 for and 39 against later on Tuesday.

The law lists the Agriculture Ministry, the Interior Ministry, the Construction and Investment Ministry, the Defence Ministry, the Justice Ministry, the Culture and Innovation Ministry, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the Prime Minister’s Cabinet Office, the Prime Minister’s Office, the Finance Ministry and the Technology and Industry Ministry.

The legislation spins off the Construction and Investment Ministry from the Prime Minister’s Office.

Mi Hazank: New structure fails to address the needs or priorities of Hungarian society

Dora Duro, deputy leader of the radical opposition Mi Hazank (Our Homeland) party, said on Tuesday that the structure of Viktor Orban’s incoming government failed to address the needs or priorities of Hungarian society. “Family policy, education, health care, youth, children, and sports have not even been mentioned in the law outlining the new ministries,” Duro said, adding that “this clearly reflects the Orban government’s priority of values”.

Duro also slammed the ruling parties for eliminating the post of minister for family affairs while the country’s reproduction rate had dropped once again. Duro connected this with the vaccine campaign, saying the drop came “exactly nine months after the start of mass inoculations against coronavirus”. Mi Hazank’s experts will do research to ascertain “if there is a link between the two developments”, she said.

Meanwhile, Duro said employees of the public sector would lose out because the new government was unconcerned by “the number of areas suffering from low pay and labour shortages”.

Also, Duro called it “outrageous” that Antal Rogan, the prime minister’s cabinet chief, will be in charge of the secret services, whose activities have so far been overseen by three ministries. Rogan is “unsuited” to the task, she insisted.

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