The government continues to remain committed to Budapest projects to be implemented from state funds, provided that there is a consensus between the government and the metropolitan municipality regarding their realisation.

Gergely Gulyás, the Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office said at its Tuesday meeting the government reviewed the agreement signed by the Prime Minister and former Mayor of Budapest István Tarlós on 17 November 2018 as well as the status of state-funded projects currently under implementation, and laid down that they continue to support their realisation; at the same time, a clear position on the matter from the Metropolitan General Assembly is essential.

Until the decision of the General Meeting, the government calls upon the ministers concerned to proceed “with due care” in respect of the projects in question, the Minister added. He highlighted that the government will seek to establish a fair partnership with the capital’s new leaders, and will adhere to the fundamental principles which it has followed in the past nine years.

Mr Gulyás said Budapest is the capital of the whole nation, and the government itself has a vested interest in a strong and developing capital. This is why they have cooperated with the capital in the past few years, and it is thanks to this that a great number of developments have been implemented.

Speaking about the work completed by István Tarlós in words of praise, he said the projects implemented in the capital make the claim irrefutable that his nine-year mayorship was “a golden era” in the history of Budapest. Since 2010 projects to the value of almost HUF 2,000 billion have been completed, and projects worth another HUF 4,400 billion are currently under way, the Minister pointed out.

He mentioned as examples the refurbishment of metro line 3, the construction of an athletics stadium and a multifunctional hall, as well as the projects under way in the City Park (Városliget), stating that if the capital wants these, the government continues to support their realisation. The government is ready to maintain the operation of the Council for Metropolitan Public Developments which provides an opportunity for ongoing communication between the government and the Mayor of Budapest, Mr Gulyás added.

In answer to a question related to the Liget Budapest project, the Minister said they are awaiting the position of the new Metropolitan General Assembly regarding the projects under way. “If we can help it, we would not like to demolish completed projects,” he observed, indicating that the National Gallery and the House of Innovation are in the planning phase.

Regarding the incident that took place during the opening sitting of Parliament’s autumn session, he said the liberties that some Members of Parliament took are also beyond the boundaries of legality. He said these incidents are unacceptable, and pointed out that all parties with parliamentary groups are expected to condemn what happened. He said the disciplinary rules of the law regarding the functioning of Parliament are clear, and allow the imposition of sanctions. In response to another question on the same matter, he expressed words of appreciation in connection with Speaker of the House László Kövér’s “sincere composure”.

The Minister discarded US press reports that Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán influenced US President Donald Trump in connection with Ukraine as fake news. He said he sincerely hopes that the new Ukrainian leadership will be better than its predecessor.

Mr Gulyás was also asked about press reports claiming that the status of teachers working in vocational training would be changed, and that they would be moved from the status of public servant to under the effect of the Labour Code. He said in reply that the government is looking into the reform of vocational training from many angles. Their objective is to make vocational training more effective, and to increase the salaries of vocational training instructors. No decision has been made yet regarding their status, but he said that at this point in time “the public servant payroll appears to be inconvenient for everyone concerned”.

In answer to another question, he said this year 20,000 new homes will be completed in Budapest, and for next year, too, they have issued planning permission for another 18,000. The housing boom does not appear to be abating, he said, highlighting that they support the policy which helps families to become home owners.

In answer to a question concerning his opinion on Ferenc Gyurcsány’s Monday address in Parliament in which he sought to find excuses for his Őszöd speech, Mr Gulyás said he does not believe that “integrity and honesty” would lead anyone to win elections with lies. His words were very serious; anyone who did and said such things “should have been banished from Hungarian public life a long time ago”.

The MSZP-SZDSZ era and the Gyurcsány Government are bad examples for any Hungarian government of the day, highlighting “the awful performance of his government” and the moral decay into which they pushed the country.

Mr Gulyás said in answer to a question concerning the Borkai affair and the scandal involving Kispest socialist politicians and drugs that the appropriate procedures will have to be conducted.

In answer to another enquiry as to whether Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has responded to new Mayor of Budapest Gergely Karácsony’s request for a meeting, the Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office said he is not aware of the receipt of such a letter. The author of the letter will be the first to receive the Prime Minister’s reply, and they will then inform the public, he said.

“The government is open to conducting a normal dialogue with the capital in the spirit of fair partnership”. There is only any point in engaging in talks once the capital decides what it wants. The decisions adopted by the government today, too, seek to help the Mayor of Budapest to decide, in possession of his democratic authorisation, what he and the capital want, Mr Gulyás pointed out.

There are already parliamentary decisions about many of the metropolitan development programmes worth HUF 4,400 billion; if the metropolitan municipality does not wish to implement them or wishes to implement them in different locations, Parliament will have to decide again on the relevant sums. There are Budapest programmes which the government is ready to support, but they would not like to implement developments anywhere without the given municipality’s consent, he stated.

In answer to the question as to whether it would be necessary to create a position of minister without portfolio for Budapest, the Minister said this option has not emerged.

He said in answer to a question relating to Zsolt Borkai’s resignation that the Mayor of Győr will have to decide whether, in the present situation, he is able to fulfil his duties as mayor, and whether he commands the respect that is necessary for that. Lajos Kósa as Vice President of Fidesz stated his opinion on the matter on Monday, he added.

Regarding the statement made by CDU’s deputy faction leader about Hungary’s position concerning Turkey, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office said “irresponsible statements can be made even in big parties”. The German politician would do well to acquaint himself with his own government’s position which is very close to that of the Hungarian government today as another flow of 3 to 4 million migrants would affect Germany most, he stated.

Concerning Fidesz’s European People’s Party membership, Mr Gulyás observed that the European People’s Party and Fidesz must decide which way they want to go. If the two can be reconciled, that poses no difficulty at all, he said, adding that he maintains his position that there is a fifty per cent chance that Fidesz will be granted full membership again.

He pointed out in connection with candidate for EU commissioner Olivér Várhelyi that it is in the best interests of the whole of Europe that the new European Commission should enter into office within the shortest possible time. At the same time, the new Hungarian candidate has not been criticised on any score. As Hungary presented its candidate for commissioner well before the election of the European Commission’s new president, the Hungarian government was not in a situation where the need emerged for naming a female candidate as well.

In answer to a question, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office highlighted that in the first half of the year, they made available approximately HUF 36 billion for the calls for proposals of the Hungarian Villages Programmes, but according to experiences, there is a need for much more funding. The refurbishment of secondary roads over a period of ten years in itself would cost HUF 2,500 billion, not even mentioning the development of community services and the improvement of circumstances in creches, nursery schools and surgeries, he underlined.

The Minister added that he would be happy if the funding of the village programme could be substantially increased, but there is no government decision on that. So far they have been able to offer EU grants to settlements of the size between small villages and county-ranked cities through the operational programmes of settlements. They would like to see a similar arrangement also during the next budgetary cycle, supplemented with local funds.

Regarding plans for extending the range of family support benefits, he merely observed that there is no decision yet on the range of tax and other benefits for families with two or more children. Minister of State for Family and Youth Affairs Katalin Novák will prepare the relevant proposal, he said.

In answer to a question related to sound recordings involving Kispest opposition politicians, he said we must first wait for the outcome of the relevant criminal proceedings. Until then they will not investigate the individual development projects.

Mr Gulyás said in response to a question about Mayor of Budapest Gergely Karácsony’s promise made during the campaign to supply all metropolitan districts with CT equipment that also at present there are more CT machines than there are metropolitan districts; however, it is worth looking into their territorial distribution. From among the items of the metropolitan mayor’s programme, he mentioned the plans related to the embankment and the conversion of the private parking facility situated next to the City Hall into a public park as projects in which Budapest can count on the government’s support.

In answer to another question, Mr Gulyás confirmed that the amendment of the Constitution is not on the agenda; there is no need for any fundamental changes to the Fundamental Law.

(MTI)