Jobbik: Restore the power of local governments

In his press conference, Jobbik’s vice president Tibor Bana urged the government to improve living standards in rural settlements. He criticized Fidesz for giving up on the citizens living in small villages. Explaining Jobbik’s position on the matter, Mr Bana said his party wanted to improve the quality of life in the more than one thousand villages where the population is below five hundred even though they represent less than three per cent of Hungarian citizens in total. Each life is just as valuable as the other, so these people should be given a chance just like those living in larger settlements, he added.

Press release – The centre-right politician called on the government to implement the promised programme of providing free wi-fi for each village, along with a truly useful public transport system instead of the one or two buses per day. Talking about the needs of these citizens, he also mentioned giving decision-making capacities back to local governments because, he said, they had been deprived recently.

Mr Bana called it a vital issue to stop young people’ emigration from villages.

The way to do so, he suggested, is to provide better conditions for local businesses to apply for tenders so that more jobs could be created in the small settlements.

Immigration

Alfahir asked Jobbik’s vice president about Wall Street Journal’s in-depth article on Hungary’s immigration policy. According to the American newspaper, Hungary opens its gates wide for foreign workers despite the government’s loud anti-immigration rhetoric. Mr Bana said Hungarian wages were far below the Western European average, that’s why Jobbik called for a European Wage Union.

“The government purposefully keeps wages low to put Hungarian workers in a vulnerable position. The cabinet also welcomes Eastern guest workers because they are willing to do these jobs even for the low wages.”

The conservative politician criticized the government for failing to do anything to prevent young Hungarians from moving to Western Europe to work.

“The government is busy building new guest worker hostels in many places, including Szentgotthárd. It would be much more important to solve the housing problems of young Hungarian workers instead,” Mr Bana noted.

Take back our schools?

The politician also asked about Jobbik’s position on giving back schools and other social institutions to the local governments for operation. The vice president said the towns and villages should be given a chance to decide if they want to finance their local institutions.

“Some of the powers of municipalities were taken away when the government decided to operate these institutions centrally. Towns and villages should be allowed to decide if they could finance institutions like that.”

Mr Bana confirmed that Jobbik’s municipal programme largely focused on small settlements and villages because they had a major role in Hungary’s society.

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Source: Jobbik.com