The Hungarian prime minister hopes his ideology will gain power in the next European elections, while his Italian counterpart talks about the collapse of the West in the face of declining birth rates.
Promoted as the Hungarian model, the policy introduced by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s governments to encourage couples to have children once again the biannual Demographic Summit in Budapest is the focus. In this edition, the fifth, under the motto “Family is the key to security”, her Italian counterpart Giorgia Meloni is the guest of honor.
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Waiting for a change of course in Europe
In his speech, Orbán has once again attacked the European Union.
“We need a change of political course. We need to ensure that conservative, family-friendly powers take power in as many European countries as possible. Furthermore, elections to the European Parliament will be held next year. “Everything is given for us to tip the balance of power in our favor with an enveloping maneuver.”
Revitalize the family
“We want to defend it, we want to revitalize it. The family does not limit anyone’s freedom, but rather increases everyone’s wealth. And we do not believe that the State can replace the family. Where it has been tried in the past, it has happened in Eastern Europe under the Soviet regime, the results serve as a warning so that everyone does not repeat the experience.”
According to Meloni, The fall in birth rates will cause a total collapse in the West. The leader of the Brothers of Italy has also criticized the fact that anti-family discourse is increasingly dominant, with the media attacking traditional values and unconventional family models in cinema and advertising.
Your country’s birth rate is the lowest in the EU, with 1.24 children per woman.
The champion of the large family
For his part, since coming to power in 2010, Orbán has positioned himself as a staunch defender of Christianity and pro-family values. He introduced five years later a subsidized housing scheme for young married couples. Projects announced in 2019 include tax exemptions for women who have four or more children.
“A total of sixty opinion leaders, experts and politicians from four continents attended the Demographic Summit,” comments Euronews reporter Zoltan Siposhegyi. “The event has been held since 2015, but this is the first time that heads of state and government accept the invitation. Among others, the Serbian and Bulgarian presidents, as well as the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, are also seeking a response to the question why our population is decreasing.
