On Wednesday Bertalan Havasi, the Prime Minister’s press chief, informed Hungarian news agency MTI that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had sent a letter to the mayors of settlements with populations of under five thousand. In his letter the Prime Minister dismissed as “fake news” reports that the Government is planning to abolish the local governments of small settlements.

In the letter the Prime Minister stated: “Our small villages and settlements are particularly important for Hungary. We are working to ensure that they can retain their crèches, nurseries and schools.”

“I also personally believe it is important that every small settlement preserves its independence. This is what I have always supported, and this is what I will support in the future as well”, Mr. Orbán stated, adding that strengthening small settlements is in the interest of the entire country.

Mr. Havasi said that the Prime Minister’s letter continued: “I would like our villages to be able to retain their inhabitants. Therefore, after 2018 we must launch the Modern Villages Programme, which will seek to develop and strengthen small settlements.”

(MTI)