Budapest City Council undecided in multiple issues on 1st meeting

The first meeting of the Budapest Assembly did not elect deputy mayors as Mayor Gergely Karácsony did not nominate candidates. The assembly also left the municipality’s by-laws in place without amendments.

The day before the meeting, Karácsony said that he had proposed two deputy mayors, one who represented stability, Ambrus Kiss, while the other deputy mayor should be his erstwhile election rival, Dávid Vitézy, in view of the close result, but for now 17 Tisza Party assembly representatives were unwilling to back his proposal, guided by the party’s national political strategy.

Péter Magyar’s press briefing. Photo: MTI

After a lengthy debate on Friday, the assembly decided to postpone the amendment of its by-laws. In the debate, opposition Fidesz-KDNP councillor Laszlo Borocz accused Karácsony of “hiding behind laws” to omit voting on proposals by councillors. Karácsony said the assembly would seek the government office’s interpretation of the law on whether all proposals by councillors should be voted on, even if they had earlier not been submitted by the mayor to the agenda.

Vitézy said the majority of the assembly and the mayor were in disagreement on the pocedure by which the leaders of city-owned companies are appointed, the mayor’s decisions between two assemblies and communication with the public.

The assembly postponed the amendments with 23 votes in favour, 7 against and two abstentions.

Photo: MTI

Security services for Budapest public transport set up

At the proposal of Gergely Kovács of the Two-tailed Dog party (MKKP), the councillors voted for an impact study to be conducted of the municipality’s community budget practices between 2020 and 2024. Some of the projects which Budapest citizens have voted for were coming along slowly or failing, he said.

Councillors have also voted in favour of setting up security services for Budapest public transport, a proposal that was originally one of Vitézy’s mayoral campaign promises. The new body would ensure safe, clean environment “for those travelling legally and adhering to the terms and conditions of travel”, Vitézy said, adding that the proposal was “not anti-homeless but pro-passenger”. The proposal was adopted with amendments from Karácsony.

Read also:

• Brand-new Spanish trams come to Budapest, public bike system to be renewed, extended – read more HERE
• Budapest’s city assembly started work today but finding a majority will be difficult

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