Minister of Human Resources Zoltán Balog declared in Paris that the fact that the French socialists and the Hungarian centre-right government have launched similar programs in many areas is a signal that the classical right-left wing ideological oppositions are rolling back in the act of solving concrete social problems like the integration of Roma people, employment, the issue of culture support and the employment of women.
Following negotiations with several members of the French government, the Minister of Human Resources emphasized the public work connected to education and signified that a lot of his French partners had congratulated Hungary on its pioneering role in the European Roma strategy.

Zoltán Balog told the press that Minister of Labour Michel Sapin had informed him that a series of measures similar to the Hungarian Start work program has also been launched in France, declaring that the basic concept is the same: in times of crises the state must help the unemployed and take the initiative in creating and preserving jobs. According to Mr. Sapin, the French government is creating a three-year program named „The future’s work contract” targeting the support of unemployed people aged under 25 years, and within the framework of which the state pays their public employment and education at a level equal to the minimum wage. He added that, similarly to the Hungarian program, the programme concerns integration-oriented state workplaces for people who have never worked before and that is why their employment and education require close state supervision.

Aurélie Flippetti, Minister for Communication, reported on the fact that the French recommendation that proposes the taxation of the digital world could be used to support of the strengthening of culture the cultural variety. Referring to this, Zoltán Balog declared that it is possible that Hungary will follow France in this initiative. At the meeting, a high-profile art exhibition dedicated to introducing the relationship between Hungarian modernist painters and Bartók Béla in October of next year in the Musée d’Orsay entitled Allegro Barbaro was also discussed. It is expected that the two State Presidents will be the patrons of the event.

Minister for Women’s rights Najat Vallud-Belkacem accepted that Hungary belongs to the minority that does not support the EU recommendations on the proportion of women in large corporations, and in general also accepted the Hungarian standpoint that different social developments require different attitudes in the employment of women. The French Minister welcomed both that a ministerial appointee is responsible for the improvement of the women’s opportunities on the labour market and that a special working group is elaborating new legislation on family violence.

(Prime Minister’s Office)