Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban described as unacceptable that retailers and food chains in Hungary have significantly raised prices of basic food products, increasing their own profits, the Hungarian news agency MTI reported, quoted by BTA.
Orban noted in a speech on the state of the country over the past year that in January the price of milk rose by 39%, eggs by 35% and oil by 11%. "This is too much and unacceptable", he said.
Orban said he had tasked Hungarian Economy Minister Marton Nagy with reaching an agreement with food chains to stop the price hikes. "We will ask them politely. "If that doesn't work, we will deal with price caps," he said. If they fail to reach an agreement, a price cap will be introduced, he said. If that's not enough, the government will limit sales profits, he said.
He also announced lifelong tax breaks for mothers who have at least two children, according to Agence France-Presse.
The prime minister touched on a range of topics in his speech, from Ukraine to the LGBT community and alleged foreign interference in Hungarian affairs.
Orban said he wanted to move from the camp of the rebels to the camp of the winners in the fight against what he called the liberal empire, Agence France-Presse reported. He said this shift from one camp to the other would be made possible by US President Donald Trump.
“The fight continues,“ Orban stressed. “But there is one significant difference. This time the goal is not to survive, but rather to triumph. We are no longer rebels, we now want to win," Orbán stressed.
The Hungarian prime minister also announced that he was preparing a new bill to combat non-governmental organizations that serve foreign interests and promised to send an emissary to the United States to collect evidence of alleged foreign interference in Hungary.
"The Americans have exposed and made public a completely corrupt and repressive machine that has pumped billions of dollars from the American budget to buy journalists, judges, politicians, foundations. A big machine that has imposed a liberal dictatorship of opinion and political repression throughout the Western world, including in Hungary," Orban said.
He also proposed that the country's constitution stipulate that there are only two sexes - male and female, thus following the presidential decree signed by Donald Trump at the beginning of his administration.
“I recommend that the organizers of the gay parade not give themselves another chance to prepare this event this year. It is a waste of time and money“, Orban also warned the organizers of the gay parade in Budapest.
In his speech, Orban said that Hungary will be the one to decide whether Ukraine will be able to join the EU one day, the AP reported.
“Against the will of Hungary and the Hungarians, Ukraine will never be a member of the EU,“ Orban emphasized. "Ukrainian membership will destroy Hungarian farmers and not only them, but the entire Hungarian economy", he stressed.
The Hungarian prime minister also stated that the war that Russia waged nearly three years ago was not even about Ukraine, but about a territory called Ukraine. In this way, Orban seemed to question Ukrainian statehood. "Ukraine or what remains of it will once again become a buffer zone between Russia and NATO countries", Orban said and assured that Ukraine will not become a member of NATO.