The Hungarian government insists on gradually shifting the tax burden from earnings to consumption and turnover, Orban said.

The prime minister added that Hungary wanted to simultaneously reduce the public debt and increase its competitiveness. He said that measures to boost growth must not add to the public debt.

On European issues, Orban said that cohesion policy is at the heart of the European Union and must be continued.

"Abandoning cohesion policy will not yield economic growth but lead to a heart attack," Orban said.

He said cohesion funds had already proven to boost growth, a tendency that must continue.

Discussions concerning the EU's budget for the period 2014-2020 are expected to be concluded by the end of the year, which will also indicate how much money the bloc can allocate for cohesion funding, Orban said.

Hungary does not approve the European Commission's original draft, under which Hungary would receive considerably less cohesion funding in the medium term, whereas the country's level of development stays well under the European average, the prime minister said.

Concerning the two-day summit, Orban said that its outcome could "boost Hungary's self-confidence".

Orban argued that the European growth pact, adopted at the summit, was in line with Hungary's economic policy, which focuses on bank levies and financial transaction and crisis taxes to boost growth. At Hungary's proposal, this position has been included in the summit's closing document, he said.


Text: mti, Photographer: Miniszterelnökség/Barna Burger