In an interview with Eger Television on Monday, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that the aim of the Government’s Modern Cities programme in the coming years is to allow the disbursement of available development funds based on the decisions of local people.
Following discussions held on Friday with Mayor of Eger László Habis (Fidesz-KDNP) and Member of Parliament Zsolt Nyitrai (Fidesz), the Prime Minister explained that in the past, decisions on who needs what have been made by experts in Budapest, but “this must change”. He said that the Government has about it “something of the provinces”, believing it is important that decisions are made in the places where those affected live.
Mr. Orbán stressed that the Government will allocate approximately HUF 1200 billion to the development of counties and municipalities of county level.
The aim of the developments, the Prime Minister said, is to achieve full employment in Hungary by 2018, in order to ensure that “active people who are capable of work” do not live off benefits, but can provide for their families and themselves through work. For this to happen, jobs are necessary, he stated, and he therefore asked mayors to give preference to development plans which create jobs.
The Prime Minister said that there are two types of city in Hungary today: those which can be reached via motorways and major roads – where local people feel that they are connected to the rest of the country – and others, which feel isolated. Eger belongs to the latter group, which is why the Government is supporting the development plan presented by the Mayor, according to which a high-speed link road connecting Eger with the M3 motorway will be constructed by 2018. There are countless bureaucratic obstacles to such plans, therefore the Cabinet has recently approved an “acceleration package”, thanks to which the construction of the four-lane road will be finished by 2018, Mr. Orbán announced.
The Prime Minister pointed out that the Government will support developments which in the future generate revenues for the cities concerned. Looking at Eger’s revenues, it is clear that even though it is considered to be a tourist destination, it also has industrial traditions, it has a significant industrial base, and a high proportion of its revenues come from companies located in the city’s southern industrial zone. Therefore, the Prime Minister explained, in addition to supporting construction of the link road and development of the Castle of Eger, the city will also receive help in expanding its industrial zone to twenty hectares by being allowed to take over state-owned land, which can be classified as an industrial park.
The Cabinet attaches great importance to sports subsidies and to protecting the health of young people, Mr. Orbán said, adding that a HUF 6 billion international swimming and water polo centre is planned for Eger, which has a successful water polo team and swimming teams which are also making progress. In a city where many children are involved in sports, it makes no sense to build just one or two swimming pools, he said; “Let us dream big, let us do it properly”, the Prime Minister urged.