Government discusses development of Budapest suburbs with mayors

Tibor Navracsics, the minister for regional development and the uptake of European Union funds, on Tuesday, met mayors of localities near Budapest, to discuss development opportunities and restarting a development forum for Budapest suburbs.

Navracsics praised the proposal of István Szabó, the head of the Pest County Assembly, to revive the regional development forum to discuss common issues and developmental concepts with Budapest as “very progressive”.

Budapest and the surrounding Pest County have “close and stormy relations”, Navracsics said. While Budapest’s GDP per capita is 153 percent of EU average, the county’s is at 59 percent, he said. While the development of Budapest is a priority, the surrounding areas are “inextricably linked to Budapest in everyday life”, and must be taken into consideration, he said.

The new forum would enable participants to harmonise long-term goals and development projects, he said.

Navracsics started a series of consultations two weeks ago with a view to renewing the policy framework for regional development policy.

As we wrote earlier, support available for local councils will increase by 95 billion forints (EUR 238m) next year, Finance Minister Mihály Varga said on Tuesday, details HERE.