So what’s in store next for Budapest? In a speech held in March, Orbán outlined his plans for structurally changing the Hungarian economy, gearing it towards becoming the most industrialized nation in the Union. This is not a far off goal, since the industrial sector already contributes to 23% of GDP, compared to 26% for Germany. To achieve this, Orbán needs to increase the competitiveness of the country’s exports, a feat that will be fulfilled by further reducing electricity prices for consumers and industrial producers alike.
But the real snippet of his speech was that Hungary shouldn’t copy the economic policy staples of the core, »developed« European Union states. This statement echoes a deeper truth: that each country should search for its own way, develop a path that best suits its geography, comparative advantage and economic potential. Even if Orbán’s policies are deemed unorthodox by some, as long as they deliver healthy results while staying inside the macroeconomic targets agreed upon on European level, can we really insist they be changed?
The only questions that remains is whether the Budapest model can mark the beginning of a larger paradigm shift in Europe, with pundits and markets seeming more and more ready to accept non-austerity driven policies.”