Hungary is a strong nation, which "stands the storms of a crisis" more successfully than several other nations "of more fortunate history and stronger economic fundamentals", Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in an interview published in national daily Magyar Nemzet on December 24.

Hungary's everyday life and political leadership have become more predictable and more stable, with most of the inherited shortcomings being remedied, he said.

Europe is experiencing historic changes, a period of fundamental economic transformation, which Hungary should address by renewing itself to the extent allowed by the government's two-thirds support in Parliament, the Prime Minister stated.

He stressed that from 2002 to 2010 Hungary used to be a weak nation that was unable to stand on its feet and had to pay more than justified for the assistance it received from others, adding that “it is a miracle, however, that we could stand up again".

Asked about the pace of transformation, the Hungarian Prime Minister stated that policy-makers are rarely able to implement an ideas without making corrections on the way. Bringing up the student demonstrations as an example, he said that although the government had not changed its goals, it should choose other instruments for achieving them as the first ones offered were "obviously inacceptable" to students.

He also noted that Hungary's economic indicators are in order, with the single exception of economic growth.

Public debt has declined, the budget deficit has been kept under the sustainably tolerable limit, the employment rate has grown, and both the trade balance and the current account have shown a surplus, he said.

The strategy of Brussels that each country should resolve its crisis with similar instruments and solutions only holds true of the euro zone member states, Prime Minister Orbán stated.

Euro zone members should be aware that all steps they take have a direct and immediate effect on all the other members. For the other countries, however, the EU should not prescribe the same economic policy, he said.

The Prime Minister noted that Hungary's initiatives, including the banking levy, special sectorial taxes, the job protection scheme and cuts in public utilities costs had also found supporters abroad.

Now that Hungary has stabilised its finances, the country's economy can obviously stand on its feet even without an IMF loan agreement, he said.

(MTI; EMMI)