BUDAPEST – Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban firmly dismissed claims of impending austerity measures on Saturday, vowing to preserve his government’s key spending programs even if he secures victory in the April 12 election.
In power since 2010, Orban’s right-wing Fidesz party trails a centre-right challenger in polls amid the nation’s weakest economic period in 16 years, marked by near-stagnation since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine fueled regional inflation. “That’s a flat-out lie,” Orban declared at a campaign rally. “The state of the Hungarian economy does not require any kind of austerity.
“Despite economists’ warnings of inevitable belt-tightening after heavy pre-election outlays, Orban insisted deficits, raised to 5% for 2025 and 2026, would shrink gradually as growth resumes, without touching popular policies like 3% subsidized mortgages or income tax exemptions for mothers of two. Recent measures include 100 billion forint ($310 million) for restaurants and 50 billion forint ($160 million) to cap heating bills, even as Friday’s data confirmed a third year of stagnation, lagging Poland and Czech peers, with some 2026 forecasts now downgraded.