After meeting the members of the Balaton Alliance in Szigliget on Thursday, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that mayors in the Balaton region also feel that the economy is on the rise, and they would like to see this reflected in the area of developments as well.
In his statement, which was broadcast live by national TV channel M1, the Prime Minister drew the public’s attention to the fact that on Sunday a by-election will be held in the Tapolca constituency. He said that all settlements in the area are in some way connected to Lake Balaton and its tourism, and therefore topics of this nature were also discussed at the meeting. The mayors have requested simplification of the regulatory system related to construction and planning, saying that “bureaucracy is suffocating them.”
The issue of Lake Balaton’s water level was also raised at the meeting; the Prime Minister said that the mayors explained that, in the absence of flood barriers, a lower water level is preferred, and he added that it has been agreed that the mayors will discuss this topic on an annual basis.
Another topic at the meeting was the renovation of existing cycle routes and their construction in settlements further away from the lakeshore. The issues of commercial and recreational fishing were also discussed, Mr. Orbán said.
“What we feel in Budapest – that the economy has rallied, that it is on the move, that people have more money in their pockets, and that we are taking steps forward – is also felt by the mayors, and they would like to see this reflected in the form of developments as well,” the Prime Minister concluded.