President of the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) Henri Malosse held talks with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán on Monday. Mr. Malosse is in Hungary to study the innovative steps that have enabled the country to recover from the economic crisis.

The French politician expressed his appreciation of Hungary's crisis management efforts. Firstly, he agreed that supporting the middle class by easing their tax burdens and boosting employment plays a key role in dealing with the crisis. In addition, the results of Hungary’s re-industrialisation policy, promoting SMEs and lowering energy prices seem promising. What Hungary has achieved could also benefit Europe, he concluded.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that Hungary will pursue its policy of re-industrialisation to ensure that industry generates the highest ratio to GDP within the European Union. The country is currently standing in 3rd or 4th place on this list.

Prior to his visit, Henri Malosse expressed support for Hungary's initiative to separate socially useful financial transactions from useless ones. In his view, Hungary has managed to reduce its debt without its economy weakening or undermining social cohesion. Unconventional solutions have helped provide a way out of the recession and keep the unemployment rate down at around 10%.

The EESC is convinced that Europe needs substantive reforms to return to the path of a sustainable economy.

(Prime Minister’s Office)