In an exclusive interview with Life Site News, Hungary’s State Secretary for Family and Youth Affairs said the country is flourishing due to the preservation of policies based on the Christian worldview and the natural definition of marriage.

“The Hungarian people are family-orientated, respect traditional values and want to live in peace and security,” Katalin Novàk said.

“According to a recent poll, 79% of the Hungarians share the view that we should preserve our Christian heritage, which means that a large majority supports policies that are rooted in Christian culture,” she added.

As a result, the country has witnessed abortion numbers plunge by more than a third of what they were, from 40,449 in 2010 to 28,500. Divorce in Hungary has also seen a marked decline, while the marriage rate has surged by 42%.

The fertility rate has increased by more than 20% since 2011, which according to Novàk, “clearly shows that Hungarian women feel increasingly confident about having children.”

In an effort to fight the decline in its own demographic, the Orbán-government increased support for Hungarian families, encouraging citisens to have large and stable households.

“Hungarian fertility rates have been below replacement for decades,” Population Research Institute President Steven Mosher said.

“And its population has been shrinking since the 1980s. The Orban government hopes to turn this around, and quickly, by rewarding those who are generous in having children. After all, such couples are providing for Hungary’s future in the most fundamental way: by providing the next generation of Hungarians,” Mosher added.

The family-friendly policies encourage young Hungarians to marry and have multiple children, rather than turning to mass-migration for population growth, which poses a threat to Hungarian culture.

The Hungarian government’s nationalist approach last year put the nation offside with the European Union, with the EU voting to strip Hungary of its voting rights.

The decision came in response to Hungary’s strict immigration policies. Hungarian Foreign Minister, Peter Szijjarto told CBN News, “Basically it’s revenge. The European Parliament has a majority of MEPs who are pro-migration, absolutely pro-migration.”

Szijjarto went on to warn that if Europe can’t find a way back to their Christian roots and heritage, Europe will never be strong again. For this reason, Hungary has resolved to preserve their Christian faith, heritage, and family values.

“We have been a Christian country for a millennium,” Szijjarto said. “Why should we give it up?”