National consultations are about ensuring that the government adopts a vision which coincides with what the Hungarian people think and that the measures implemented serve the best interests of as many Hungarians as possible, the Minister of State for International Communication and Relations said on Kossuth Radio’s programme ‘Sunday Paper’.
Speaking about the underlying concept and mentality of national consultations, Zoltán Kovács said the purpose of the series of national consultations is to outline policies, measures and a vision which are in harmony with the Hungarian people’s ideas about the future, and to ensure that any changes implemented are in the best interests and for the benefit of as many Hungarians as possible.
Mr Kovács highlighted that the national consultation related to illegal migration greatly helped the government in the successful management of the challenges that emerged in 2015 and at the same time it enabled the government to manage them “in a way which set an example for the whole of Europe and the world”.
In the past few years, they believed that the pressure caused by illegal migration would remain the greatest problem; however, it has since transpired that the coronavirus pandemic is perhaps the biggest challenge since the fall of communism as the results and measures of the past 10 years have come under threat, he said.
He stressed that both by European and global comparison, the Government of Hungary was able to take the right measures at the right time, relying on the achievements and experiences of the past ten years.
He said they could state with some pride that Hungary had been successful in the first wave of the fight against the epidemic and had conquered it. This is a common achievement which required, in addition to the government’s decisions, the disciplined participation of members of the Hungarian public in the containment effort, he added.
He highlighted that the epidemic had evidently put not only health care, but also the economy to the test. This is why it is necessary that the national consultation should also concern issues regarding possible further phases of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic and economic measures, he said.
Regarding the national consultation, Mr Kovács said the first questions relate to the measures taken to fight the coronavirus pandemic, and in light of the fact that health care systems in many places around Western Europe had fallen apart within seconds under pressure, they are also asking members of the public about how a state of disease control preparedness can be maintained and how Hungary could prepare for a second wave even more effectively. There are further questions about inventory management and digital education as well.