The Council for Metropolitan Public Developments formed on Saturday increases the role of the Mayor of Budapest and the metropolitan municipality in decisions related to Budapest developments, the Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office said at a press conference held after the establishment of the council.
Gergely Gulyás stressed that the body co-chaired by the Prime Minister and the Mayor of Budapest, which has ten members delegated by the government and the metropolitan municipality and which will meet monthly or every two months, will adopt its decisions on the most important issues with a consensus in every instance. He also said that at its first meeting the body adopted decisions, inter alia, in connection with the development of the suburban railway network. The council gave the planning of the Galvani Bridge the go-ahead.
In addition to the Prime Minister and the Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office, in the council the government is represented by Minister for Innovation and Development László Palkovics, Andrea Bártfai-Mager, Minister without Portfolio for the management of national assets, and Minister of State for the development of the Budapest metropolitan area Balázs Fürjes. As a result, the competent member of government will attend the meetings of the council in connection with every issue concerning the cabinet, he stressed. The body will discuss all metropolitan developments, including those which are implemented exclusively from government funds, he said.
Mr Gulyás described the further development of the capital as a common interest of Budapest and the government, and said that the agreement signed by the Prime Minister and the Mayor of Budapest on Saturday serves just that. He pointed out that the agreement lays down, inter alia, the conditions of Mayor István Tarlós for running for the office of Mayor of Budapest again.
These require more from the government: partly greater involvement for the metropolitan municipality in developments, and partly certain conditions for specific developments, such as metro line 3. As a result, the agreement also lays down that if the government debates matters concerning Budapest, the mayor will also attend the cabinet meeting. The agreement further stipulates that the state assumes the obligation to provide funds for certain purposes, including HUF 80 billion for the development of metro line 3.