Hungary PM launches election campaign with $2 billion tax refund for families

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban attends the opening session of parliament in Budapest, Hungary, September 20, 2021. REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo

BUDAPEST (Reuters) -Hungary's government will refund $2 billion of income tax to families in early 2022 and also plans a big hike in the minimum wage, right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orban told the opening session of parliament on Monday, setting the stage for next year's election.

Orban, who faces a parliamentary election that is shaping up as a competitive race for the first time in a decade, said the economy's sharp rebound from the coronavirus pandemic provided room in the budget for the measures.