Orbán: Villages need to be uplifted rather than pulled down

The government has decided to support small shops by 3 million forints each (EUR 7,490) and “throw a life belt” of the same amount to local pubs.

“Villages need to be uplifted rather than pulled down,” Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in a video uploaded to Facebook on Wednesday.

PM Orbán spoke after a government session focusing on national programmes to support small settlements, and said “the village is not a thing of the past but the future”, adding that “2025 will be a year of breakthrough also in villages.”

The government has decided to support small shops by 3 million forints each (EUR 7,490) and “throw a life belt” of the same amount to local pubs, PM Orbán said, adding that villages with a population under 2,000 would be eligible for the program.

“We will ensure at least one bankomat in each village and we will put out a tender for church renovations in small villages,” the prime minister added.

The government’s regular press briefing on Thursday will provide details of the meeting’s decisions, PM Orbán said.