The party quarter in Budapest – Council proposes local referendum on nightclub opening hours

Budapest‘s seventh district council assembly has proposed holding a local referendum to ask residents about the opening hours of nightclubs.

The proposal by Jobbik councillor János Stummer to initiate a referendum was approved with 12 votes in favour and 4 against.

At a special session on Tuesday however, the assembly rejected proposals to oblige pubs to close earlier at night in Budapest’s popular “party district”.

The assembly also voted not to approve renting out local council-owned properties as retail liquor stores.

Neither will properties already under lease be allowed to function as such.

In the assembly’s debate, LMP councillor László Moldován said the inner district had become “unlivable”. He said the district’s Fidesz leadership had “abandoned” residents. Moldován and several other councillors urged the assembly to approve a proposal mandating nightclubs to close by midnight.

Deputy mayor Gyula Hutiray of Fidesz said a referendum was now unavoidable. He said he did not support a midnight closure rule for nightclubs, arguing that it would “kill” the inner district’s development.

As wew rote yesterday, the municipality of District VII has drawn up a series of measures to have a better control over tourists, read more HERE.

Photo: facebook.com/szimplakert

Source: MTI