13.06.2014 Zoltán Balog differentiates between “worthy” and “unworthy” taxpayers

Pusztaranger (2014) writes about a recent interview with Zoltán Balog (Fidesz), the Minister of Human Resources, on the Hungarian radio station Lánchídrádió. In the conversation, Balog says that the state must “make a difference between problem families and those who are capable, giving support to the government (through taxes).” To this end, the state secretariat for social affairs and inclusion will be responsible for beneficiaries in the future and the state secretariat for family and youth for providers. According to Pusztaranger, Balog differentiates the category of “beneficiaries” into additional subgroups: “self-inflicted fall into need or without fault”; thus “guilt” is introduced as a new rating category for poverty. This is the historic Christian discourse of “the worthy and unworthy poor. […] Since the Middle Ages, the “worthy poor” were the ones who could not sustain themselves for their livelihood, especially the sick, the elderly, widows and orphans. The “unworthy poor” were healthy and able-bodied people to whom idleness was ascribed.” Among the beneficiaries Balog identifies the disabled, vulnerable children and Rroma. The fact that he considers the Rroma as self-inflicted in distress, Pusztaranger deems as being obvious. This assessment is worrisome insofar, because Balog is also the person responsible for the Hungarian Rroma strategy. In his lecture at the University of Zurich, in the summer of 2013, he had pompously highlighted the massive efforts and successes of Hungary to integrate the Rroma. That these promises were not just empty words is greatly to be hoped, however, very doubtful given the latest news.