Debate contributions by Pál SZEKERES

Mr. President, please. This is a very important issue, and I therefore think that it is also important to talk about what we are doing at Member State level. It is clear that supporting families is a very important element in the fight against child poverty. I do not want to talk about the Hungarian family support model in detail, because it takes only two minutes. It is important to focus on education. In Hungary, kindergartens, primary and secondary schools are free of charge, and even textbooks and catering are free of charge. It is very important that if you have good education, you have quality jobs. Creating Opportunities and Working: That's the goal, not the aid. For those who can work, let's create opportunities. Employment in Hungary is currently above the EU average, and I am pleased to say that the employment of people with disabilities is also above the EU average. I would like to highlight two new elements, which are also an important element of these endeavours. On the one hand, in Hungary, mothers with two or more children will not pay tax, personal income tax, and another new element is the 10% home allowance with 3% interest rate, which supports young people. It is also very important to have low overheads, with a large number of victims of energy poverty. In Hungary, this has been solved by a significant decrease from 25% who have this type of problem. Let's not forget about the elderly. Pensioners deserve special respect, it is important that pensions maintain their purchasing value. In addition to the 13th month pension, we also plan to introduce the 14th month pension. I would like to stress that the fight against poverty is a common task. It is a shared responsibility of the state, civil society organisations, churches and citizens. But the centuries-old social consensus cannot be broken: there should be no more focus on illegal immigrants at the expense of the elderly, the disabled and families.

Dear Mr President, Dear Commissioner, I, too, agree with the speakers before me that we are doing a very important and very useful work, and I, too, thank the other factions for their work. I also congratulate the rapporteurs and shadow rapporteurs on the work carried out here, and thank them in particular for accepting our amendment on sign languages, which emphasises: Deaf and hard-of-hearing people should be able to use sign language in institutions and in official procedures. However, I find it unacceptable that the study of the research service, which drew clear conclusions on the situation of indigenous minorities in Europe, was not included in the annual report. The study was discussed in January 2024 and was therefore an important part of our annual activity. We are making the same mistake as the Commission, which recently swept the will of 1.2 million EU citizens off the table by rejecting their request for legislation on civil concessions for the protection of national regions.

Dear Mr President, The energy crisis caused by the war is having a negative impact both on the livelihoods of European families and on the European economy. This is exacerbated by illegal migration and the strengthening of the green transition. We agree with the support of people with disabilities and the elderly, with equal opportunities for men and women. Particular attention should be paid to families and job opportunities for EU citizens. The success of the European economy can provide the resources to strengthen the social system. This requires clear thoughts and clear actions. We say no to war and illegal migration, but we say yes to improving competitiveness and the sovereignty of the Member States. That is the Patriot position.

Dear Mr President, I've been in the sport for over four decades. As an Olympic bronze medalist and three-time Olympic champion, I would like to speak to you as an international sports leader. I would like to thank all of you for saying so many positive words about the sport of the disabled. But since the fair playIf we are talking about women's sport and equal opportunities, then I would also like to say nothing of the need to protect women's sport from harmful new trends. It is a very important issue – and I think one of the most important messages is that sport is the best investment, because health brings the victory. It is very important that sport is an important tool for national identity, and I am pleased that we are talking a lot about this here in Parliament, but let us be careful not to make decisions that were also generated by the Bosman case, as this has ruined the education of football youth in many countries. It wasn't good for local communities either, and it brought in too much money and pushed this beautiful sport into the business world very, very much. I very much hope that together we will be wise, since not only modern sports, but also ancient sports are born in Europe, and even modern Olympics were invented here. So I am very confident that we will be collectively wise. And do not forget that sport is a national competence and a very important part of national identity.

Dear Madam President, Dear Madam Prime Minister, The Danish Presidency talks a lot about the green transition, but the programme almost completely omits social aspects. Where are the measures inside that would protect European families from the dramatic increase in energy prices? The long-term goals of the green transition sound fine, but in the meantime, millions of people are facing unpaid bills. Statistics show that one fifth of EU citizens have had problems paying their winter heating bills. In Hungary, on the other hand, the system of reducing overheads is a clear and targeted response. It protects families, makes costs predictable and relieves inflationary pressures. What I also miss about the Danish Presidency programme: Housing is under-emphasised, even though it is vitally important for young Europeans. Hungary does not forget about young people. In order to get the first home, the government supports it with a three-percent loan in the amount of HUF 50 million, with a maturity of 25 years. This is a real, tangible help. You, too, must stay on the ground of reality.

Mr. President, please. First of all, I would like to thank the Committee on Petitions for the work it did in 2023 to listen to the voice of EU citizens. The report explores a number of important topics, from their fundamental rights to environmental protection. But allow me to draw particular attention to one area, namely the protection of the rights of persons with disabilities and, in particular, the promotion of the use of sign language. I welcome the Committee's recognition that communication is not a luxury, but a fundamental right. It is therefore very important to call for amendments to Parliament’s Rules of Procedure so that deaf citizens can communicate in their own language, the national sign language. This is not only a technical issue, but also an obligation, signed and declared by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. I welcome the positive steps taken and call on colleagues not to allow results to be reduced to showcase measures, and I think it is very important that we continue to support European citizens so that they can submit petitions so that we know what they think of our work.

Dear Mr President, For us, social Europe is not an empty slogan, but an objective to be achieved. We are working to make the lives of Hungarians more predictable and easier. Thanks to the utility price cuts, Hungarian families are paying one of the lowest energy prices in Europe. Economic protection measures have brought employment to record highs and unemployment to historic lows. Wages are constantly rising, and the increase in the minimum wage and the guaranteed minimum wage will provide tangible help to workers. In order to combat inflation, we have introduced a mark-up stop, which prevents unwarranted price increases for basic food products. There is a new element in family support: personal income tax exemption for mothers. While with health pay rises and improvements, we want to improve quality health care. We work to ensure that all Hungarians feel safe, that their work is valued and that their future is predictable. One of Europe's biggest problems is demographic. It's time to take action to support families.

Madam President, I'm sorry. In the last ten years we have created more than one million new jobs in Hungary, never so many of them have worked. Now the goal is for our country's economy to be at the forefront of the global technological revolution. That is why we are building 100 new factories, bringing 4000 billion forints worth of new investments to Hungary. Hundreds of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises benefit from the Demján Sándor Capital Investment Programme. And with a new record investment in R&D, we are creating high-skilled jobs. However, these are not goals, but tools to support families to live better, have more children, and pay less taxes. In Hungary, mothers with two or more children do not have to pay personal income tax on their wages for the rest of their lives. It's unique in the world. On the occasion of International Women's Day, I suggest that you follow this good example.

Mr. President, please. I hope you agree with the principle that no MEP should be discriminated against here in Parliament because of his political opinions. Why am I saying this? Because the ‘cordon sanitaire’’ alliance swept away all patriotic amendments without reading them. We will therefore resubmit our proposals. Why is that? Because we believe in the sovereignty of the Member States, the Semester must remain a non-binding instrument. Because we believe that the future of Europe depends on strengthening competitiveness, in line with the Budapest Declaration on Competitiveness. Because we believe in putting Europe at the global forefront of innovation and artificial intelligence. Because we believe that the well-being of children depends on the well-being of families, that is why we support families. Why is that? Because we believe that families should not be burdened with the costs of energy efficiency adaptations, so we protect the reduction of overheads. We will therefore table these 10 amendments and I would ask you to support them.

(speaking without microphone at the beginning) The goal is to build a work-based society and economy. Within this framework, the Hungarian VET strategy supports research and innovation, contributes to improving competitiveness, offers career opportunities and provides a secure livelihood. In Hungary, the goal is to get as many young people as possible into competitive professions. There are currently more than 300,000 people in the VET system. The aim is to improve the basic competences of pupils, to create a modern educational environment and to serve economic needs. To this end, all trainings in Hungary are complemented by digital levels and green skills. We introduced and expanded dual training, which is a parallel training in companies and schools. We have increased teachers' salaries, introduced vocational training grants and workers' loans. Continuous infrastructural improvements and digital upgrades are carried out. The first two professions are available free of charge. With these tools, we want to support vocational training, because we need workers' hands everywhere. Not only do we talk about it, but we also provide resources to achieve our goals.

Dear Mr President, I spent more than four hundred days in the hospital because of my accident, and I would therefore like to draw attention to the difficulties in caring for people with high care needs. The task of facilitating the work of physiotherapists, therapists, nurses and healthcare workers is parallel to what has been said previously. That is why I think it is very important to talk about supporting technologies, digitalisation and robotics that can make their work easier. I have been to such an institution recently, where I have seen many of these technologies in Budapest, and thanks to these modern methods, injured people like me can regain their ability to work. I would like to thank the people working in the health sector for their sacrifices and I am very confident that we will find a solution so that this sector has the right workforce and the right support. Thank you for your attention.

Dear Mr President, The birth of more children is also a good response to demographic challenges, while increasing fertility and productivity to increase competitiveness. Family-friendly Hungary has chosen many ways in its programme to support families with children and young people starting their independent lives. I'd like to tell you a few things. It provides working loans to young people, provides financial support for buying, repaying or renting a home, and helps young people out of state care to get a home. It keeps the utilities down. This is the price of gas and electricity. This year, the government will double the tax allowance for children. Under the age of 18, it provides free public catering and education, and those under the age of 25 are exempt from personal income tax. Demographic changes have a significant impact on the competitiveness of our economy, which is why the Budapest Declaration on European competitiveness adopted under the Hungarian Presidency is very important. Competitiveness is based on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises and innovation, as well as an inclusive labour market where people with disabilities can also work in quality jobs.

Dear Member, This talk is back to normal. You are forgetting how much the Hungarian government has done for people with disabilities, and you are forgetting that the employment of people with disabilities started from 8 percent and increased to 50 percent. Less than 5% of public buildings were barrier-free, and today the majority of public buildings, well above 95%, are barrier-free. And there are a lot of measures that are positive. So I ask you very much, if you value the work of the government, to be objective and also to talk about the things that are positive, and especially here I would like to mention again that an independent state secretariat has been established with the participation of a disabled person, and further progress is expected, because the area will receive special attention.

Madam President, I'm sorry. In recent years, the European Union has made significant progress in promoting the rights of persons with disabilities. In this context, I would like to mention that in the part up to 2025, which has been specifically developed, 6 of the 7 flagship initiatives have already been implemented. For example, the European Disability Card or the Parking Card, which we are waiting for, is a framework that guarantees excellent social services. This is remarkable and I would like to thank everyone who has worked on this. What other tasks do we have? Specific objectives should be set for the period up to 30. I have consulted with the national and some European organisations for the protection of the interests of people with disabilities, and they expect more from us. One is to focus on the employment of people with disabilities, as this is not only an important tool for their financial independence - and I am also involved, I am in a wheelchair - but also for social inclusion. The second is that they strongly resented the fact that the new structure does not pay special attention to the issue of disability. In Hungary, a new state secretariat has been set up to deal with disability issues, and here there is a step backwards. I am very confident that this structural step backwards does not mean a professional step backwards, and I would like to support the Commissioner in her work and I would like us to achieve as many results as possible. I also have a suggestion, a specific suggestion, that, just as Member States recognise national sign languages, our hearing-impaired fellow citizens should also be able to communicate with the institutions of the European Union. And this means that deaf citizens who use sign language can also communicate with us in their mother tongue, sign language. So, once again, thank you for the work we have done so far, and for our further work, I wish you all success and a blessed, peaceful new year!

Madam President, I'm sorry. First of all, I would like to thank the Ombudsman O'Reilly and her colleagues for their dedicated work over the past 11 years. In 2023, it continued to address a number of very important issues that contributed to increasing the transparency of the activities of the EU institutions (e.g. by facilitating public access to documents) and reducing the possibility of corruption (e.g. by tightening lobbying). As a disabled Member, I would like to thank you in particular for focusing on the rights of persons with disabilities. Among other things, it has helped EU bodies to implement the UN Convention themselves and Member States to correctly transpose the European Accessibility Acts. As a member of the Committee on Petitions, I can confirm that many petitions have been received from people with disabilities, and this should also confirm to the next Ombudsman that this work, which his predecessor started on the disability issue, should be continued. As far as the future is concerned, as coordinator of the Petitions Committee of the Patriot Group, I will pay close attention to the work of the next Ombudsman, and I hope that the next Ombudsman will put an end to political discrimination in Parliament, which is prohibited, as is discrimination on the grounds of disability or any other grounds. In this connection, let me express my regret that Mr Saliba, the rapporteur for this report, has not adopted any patriotic amendments. Perhaps it is also a ‘cordon sanitaire’?

Dear Mr President, Housing support and affordable housing are important issues. In Hungary, we have not just started to make plans, but we can show serious results. Within this framework, the Family Friendly Hungary programme provides non-refundable support, preferential loans, interest rate subsidies and mortgage remission in the case of the purchase or construction of an apartment or house. It provides home renovation support, supports accessibility, and only 5% VAT is charged on the purchase of new homes. The Hungarian government has spent more than HUF 560 billion to support home creation, and we have the lowest household electricity and gas prices in the EU. There is still work to be done: Housing for young people should be encouraged. The government has announced that the professional programme is being prepared and we are happy to share our professional experience with you.