Unemployment is one of the gravest problems for young generations in Europe; this was the conclusion of the Tuesday debate session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe where the Government of Hungary was represented by Péter Mihalovics, Ministerial Commissioner for the coordination of the Government’s Programme for the Future of the New Generation. In his speech, the young politician confirmed the Hungarian Government’s commitment to the improvement of the quality of life for young people and raised the idea of extending the range of benefits offered in conjunction with student cards.

The Council of Europe held a joint debate on Tuesday on The young generation sacrificed: social, economic and political implications of the financial crisis.

Péter Mihalovics, as one of the youngest members of the Council of Europe, delivered a speech on the situation and opportunities in Hungary, and introduced the Government’s Programme for the Future of the New Generation. “Hungary is ready to maintain and further develop the partnership developed in cooperation with young people and implemented under the auspices of the Programme for the Future of the New Generation, to extend it to the European scene and to launch an attack, in cooperation with other States, on unemployment afflicting young people”, he said.

The Ministerial Commissioner also rendered an account of the efforts made by the Hungarian Government for young people to date, including the results that the reform of the system of vocational training and higher education is expected to yield, the reinforcement of bilateral relations between higher education and the labour market and the employment policy concepts concerning school-leavers and young people.

He further mentioned that it would be necessary to extend the benefits offered by student cards to the field of employment and to tie these benefits to the completion of the age of 26 years, in addition to the student legal relationship. According to Mihalovics, it would be worth vesting the student card with a number of new functions, while it would likewise be worthwhile to explore whether cardholders may be eligible for tax benefits or tax exemption on their incomes as entrepreneurs or school-leaver employees.

More on the Government’s Programme for the Future of the New Generation at www.ujnemzedek.hu.

(Ministry of Public Administration and Justice)