Árpád János Potápi, the state secretary for Hungarian communities abroad, said annual government spending on support for Hungarian communities beyond the borders is over ten times the amount during the last year the Socialists were in power.
Speaking at the National Assembly of the Hungarians in Ópusztaszer, in the southeast of Hungary, on Saturday, Potápi said practically all settlements with Hungarian populations in the Carpathian Basin had benefited from government-supported programs. Support has been awarded to around 50,000 organisations and institutions, while over 100 programmes have been launched at the national level, he added. In the past 12-13 years, 309 billion forints (EUR 800m) has got toward 5,400 investments, including the construction of 155 kindergartens and the renovation of another 725, he said. The government aims to give every child with a Hungarian parent or parents access to a Hungarian kindergarten, so they can then enrol in a Hungarian school, he added. He noted that support available for families that send their children to Hungarian schools had been raised this year from 22,400 forints to 100,000 forints.