Hungary Invites Kennedy To Study Family Policies

Following an expression of interest by Joseph P. Kennedy III, U.S. envoy to Northern Ireland, in studying Hungary’s family policy, a top Hungarian official warmly welcomed the Biden administration. Gergely Gulyás, the Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office, eagerly expressed his government’s readiness to host Kennedy at a family conference in Budapest this September.

“Kennedy’s willingness to ‘take a look’ at Hungary’s pro-family policy is indeed encouraging,” Gulyás conveyed to U.S. reporters at the Hungarian Embassy in Washington, D.C. The Eastern European country’s investment in its childcare policy, allocating an impressive 5% of its gross domestic product, has been in place for over a decade under the watch of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. This significant fiscal dedication underlines the government’s commitment to its demographic future.

In the U.S., child care has emerged as a topic of increasing concern, as reflected in Kennedy’s discussions with representatives of the British and Irish communities. He identified child care as one of Northern Ireland’s significant economic issues. Kennedy responded affirmatively in response to the Hungarian approach, noting his willingness to review the model.

Orbán’s undeniably conservative government has consistently focused on pro-family policies, including plans for constructing 70,000 new childcare centers. This initiative aims to assist parents wishing to re-enter the workforce without jeopardizing their children’s well-being.

Further robust policies under Hungary’s Family Protection Action Plan include granting up to three years of paid leave for both mothers and fathers. On return to work, these parents are assured a similar level of compensation as before. Moreover, the policy includes an interesting proposal: every young married couple becomes eligible for an interest-free loan of $35,000.

Critics might argue that these policies are financially burdensome. Still, Hungary’s rising marriage and birth rates suggest they yield results. As Gulyás eloquently put it, the evidence indicates that “‘migration only’ is not the solution” to addressing a declining population. It seems Hungary is laying the groundwork for a self-sustaining demographic future.

This successful policy attracted the attention of Kennedy and conservative figures in U.S. politics. In March, Hungarian President Katalin Novak met with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) to discuss the family policy model. Likewise, the Republican nominee in the 2022 Arizona gubernatorial election, Kari Lake, has previously admired Hungary’s family support model.