Drive to boost birthrate among ethnic Magyars in order to protect culture
Supporting middle-class families is a high priority for Hungary's conservative government. With a declining birthrate the population has fallen to just over 10 million, a psychological threshold below which many people think 'Magyar' culture can no longer survive, hemmed in by Slav, Latin and Germanic peoples. The government wants to set up a global register of ethnic Magyars.
With a fertility rate of 1.27 births per woman, the birth rate is one of Europe's lowest. If Roma are excluded, the figure would be less than one. To encourage women to have children, the government has reinstated three-year maternity leave, which the previous government had shortened to save money.
There are plans to boost part-time jobs too, which currently only account for 3% of jobs in Hungary, compared with 30% in Holland.
This article originally appeared in Le Monde
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