Orbán goes against economists, saying there will be no cuts after the elections

During his election campaign, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán rejected claims that he would have to introduce austerity measures after the April elections. According to him, talk of necessary consolidation is "pure nonsense" and the state of the Hungarian economy does not require any drastic cuts. Orbán emphasized that his Fidesz party plans to maintain key spending measures, including subsidized mortgages and tax breaks for mothers.

However, the economic reality appears more complex. The Hungarian economy has been on the verge of stagnation for the third year in a row and lags behind Poland and the Czech Republic.

In addition, at the end of last year, the government raised its budget deficit targets to make room for pre-election spending, which contributed to a deterioration in the country's rating outlook.

Economists warn that whoever wins the election, pressure to reduce the deficit will be inevitable. Orbán acknowledges the need for a gradual reduction in the deficit, but insists that it will happen slowly and without measures that would affect the population.

(reuters, mja)