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Fidesz to take away the rights of the local governments in Budapest?
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Though Fidesz gained its third consecutive supermajority in the national elections of April 8, the seats of its mayors’ and local representatives in Budapest are not certain at all. In fact, some of them 24.hu talked to said that provided the opposition can cooperate it might happen that no mayors of Fidesz will be re-elected in 2019. To make matters worse, it can even happen that none of its local candidates will be elected in their electoral districts. Thus, PM Orbán would like to take away rights from the city and transfer them to the government.
A secret plan
Though Fidesz was the most supported party in Budapest in the parliamentary elections, its party list received only 38% of the votes. Thus, it depends only on the opposition parties whether it can maintain its leadership in the districts of the capital. According to 24.hu, they talked to a successful mayor who does not want to risk an unexpected defeat. Therefore, he does not want to run again. Besides, he said that Fidesz could fulfill its old idea – taking away the rights of the local governments in Budapest.
Though government officials denied the plan, many of 24.hu’s interviewees talked about it as a fact. According to the plan, before the local elections most
rights and money of local governments will be redirected to higher authorities.
To put it in another way, a mayor will only be able to start the new school year and cancel the old. According to him, most workers of the local governments will be employed by the ministries. However, many of them will be fired.
Reform plans popped up last year in the Transylvanian summer camp of Fidesz, Tusványos. Péter Kovács, mayor of the 16th district, said that to his mind local governance policy is currently bad. According to him, it is very problematic that local leaders do not know what to expect. A couple of days later István Tarlós, mayor of Budapest said that
they have been thinking about possible reform plans for long in the background.
Power and money from Budapest to the government
Many interviewees mentioned an article published by András Gerő, a liberal Historian on the elimination of local governments in Budapest. In fact, Gerő is in a very good relationship with government Historian Mária Schmidt. Thus, many think that in reality, PM Orbán dictated the text that appeared in February.
In the article Gerő argued that a symbiosis between the state and Budapest would be more efficient. Thus,
real power should be in the hand of the General Assembly and the mayor of Budapest.
Furthermore, local councils should only be their prefectures. As a result, all money and power would be concentrated in the hands of the mayor and the General Assembly. Moreover, Gerő wrote that Budapest needs a government commissioner. As a result, strategic development plans would be easier to carry out.
No clear planning
Clearly, the government knows that
city development has to be institutionalized.
This is why they chose a minister without portfolio responsible for the development of county-ranked cities in 2017.
Why the hell are there local governments in Budapest??? A city the size of Toronto, Ontario, Canada where is live, has one mayor and it’s normal. Why the extra taxes and BS and probably some former comies should getting paid to do nothing. Good going FIDESZ!