Both Poland and Hungary believe that family values are important, both countries seek to support family-friendly mentalities in as many areas as possible also at a governmental level, the Minister of State responsible for family, youth and international affairs at the Ministry of Human Capacities told the Hungarian news agency MTI on Friday by telephone after she had talks, in the company of Minister of Human Capacities Zoltán Balog, with Polish Minister of Family, Labour and Social Policy Elzbieta Rafalska.
Katalin Novák said that both Hungary and Poland are struggling with similar demographic problems: there is a low child birth rate, few children are being born.
At the same time, both governments have recognised that they are able to reinforce their countries through the promotion of families as well as the fact that it is important to promote the compatibility of work and family, the Minister of State highlighted.
She remarked: also in Poland, there were some who were concerned that, due to these family policy measures, women would withdraw from the labour market, but in actual fact, they induced the contrary effect. Labour market data has shifted in a positive direction, and business indicators, too, confirm that the Polish family policy is successful.
Mrs Novák said that Poland is carefully studying the Hungarian family policy measures. They regard the family tax benefit, the housing benefit and the crèche construction programme as good models. In light of the improving demographic results, they consider the Hungarian Government’s measures concerning families successful, she stated.
She added: Poland takes the view that there is value-oriented governance in Hungary, and finds it important that certain values, such as the family, should emerge in the work of the Polish Government more emphatically.
Mrs Novák further highlighted that Hungary, too, is closely following the Polish family policy measures. The solutions are not the same, but Polish and Hungarian societies are different, and therefore each of the two countries must find its own path in social policy, she said.
With regard to this, both countries regard the plan in the European Union concerning a single social care system as dangerous, given that in consequence of standardisation, the very values would be lost which the individual Member States are able to give their own citizens. At the meeting, the parties agreed that more decisive action must be taken on this matter, and the interests of their own citizens must be borne in mind, she added.