The government fails to take the necessary measures, leader of largest opposition party MSzP Attila Mesterházy wrote on his Facebook profile. Today’s announcement had two positive elements: the government realized that Hungary needs structural reforms and it has been declared once again that the state budget deficit has to be reduced, he wrote. “Orbán’s package is still empty but, as the labels of the empty boxes show, six out of the seven major issues of the reform will hurt in people’s wallets, meaning that austerity measures are to come and the increase of state income will be generated by tax raises.” MSzP would be ready to support the government in gaining public support for the necessary reforms but will not back half-baked steps that cause damages, Mesterházy added.
“This is not a reform package but a set of empty promises,” said parliamentary representative of LMP Gábor Scheiring. The green-liberal party noted the absence of details from today’s announcement but said that the reforms still draw up a dark vision of future. “This is the crowning of the failed economic policy of the past 20 years,” Scheiring said, adding that by cutbacks in the state sector and public services, the government will not be able to create new workplaces. “Measures will result in an employment disaster.” On the above grounds, accompanied by some others, LMP called on the government to cancel its reform package.
Far-right parliamentary party Jobbik’s Gábor Vona also finds that the current reform plans fit into the misguided economic policy of the past decades. Vona also said that Hungary suffers from a debt trap, which will not be solved by these reforms. “The whole package stinks from the IMF,” he said. The 4-6% economic growth, promised by the government is not possible without reviving the agricultural and food sectors, Vona added.
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