Budapest Assembly votes for review of Chain Bridge reconstruction plans

A municipal review of Chain Bridge reconstruction plans aimed at cutting costs got the go-ahead from Budapest city lawmakers on Wednesday.

The Budapest Assembly accepted a proposal by Gergely Karácsony, the city’s mayor, to reassess the project won through a public procurement tender, as well as the conditions set down in the tender, with 19 votes in favour and 3 abstentions.

Karácsony said that

given the urgency of refurbishing the bridge itself, the original plan to revamp the Castle Tunnel nearby at the same time may have to be reconsidered.

Meanwhile, the assembly also passed amendments regarding procedural rules that

Karácsony insisted would make the assembly’s operations more democratic while broadening citizen participation.

He said the changes also aimed to fortify the assembly opposition’s right to examine laws and procedures and to improve transparency.

The amendments were accepted with 18 votes in favour, 6 against and 7 abstentions.

Zsolt Láng, the leader of the Fidesz-Christian Democrat group in the assembly, insisted, however, that the draft regulations failed to “ensure basic democratic rights while curbing councillors’ rights”. It also allows the mayor to chair meetings in a “strongly authoritative manner” while running afoul of the law on local authorities, he said.

Several amendment proposals of the opposition had been incorporated into the draft.

Also, in a unanimous vote, the assembly allocated 35 million forints (EUR 104,000) for a monument to women raped during the world wars.