Hungary Socialists call for European minimum wage of EUR 750

The minimum wage in every European Union member state should be raised to at least 750 euros a month, Socialist MEP Istvan Ujhelyi told a press conference in Budapest. The Socialists also suggest that the minimum pension should be 300 euros a month, and that the state should pay a monthly subsidy of 150 euros to families per each child, Ujhelyi said. He added that the EU's direct agricultural subsidy should be raised to 300 euros per hectare, from the current 219 euros. Ujhelyi also proposed that the value added tax should have a 20 percent cap in the community. Hungary has a top VAT rate of 27 percent.