Hungary PM Orban pledges to keep deficit target ahead of election

BUDAPEST: Hungary will not have an election budget this year as the government plans to keep the 2018 deficit at the 2.4 percent of GDP target set out in the law, Prime Minister Viktor Orban told an economic conference on Tuesday.

"We will respect the law ... there is some room of manoeuvre but only within these limits," Orban said. Orban seeks a third consecutive term in parliamentary elections on April 8.

"There won't be an election budget, the deficit will definitely remain below 3 percent and the most likely outcome is that we will keep (to the target)," he added.