MTI INTERVIEW – Jobbik’s Mayor Candidate Proposes Budapest Law

(MTI) – The radical nationalist Jobbik party’s candidate for Budapest mayor has proposed that parliament should pass a law to “clearly define” the roles of the state, Budapest’s city council and its districts, as well as municipal services and central financing.

In an interview to MTI, MP Gabor Staudt also said that municipal operations should be made cheaper, and public safety in the capital should be increased.

Concerning a planned consolidation of public utility providers, Staudt said that setting up a holding to run those companies was “not a bad idea”, but warned that greater financial transparency was necessary. “The government now sees a wasteful capital which it is not ready to finance,” he noted.

Jobbik would integrate the municipal and district-level public area inspectors into a consolidated Budapest Warden and reinforce the single body with volunteers. Staudt argued that resident-participation would increase the “good manager” attitude in the city.

As for homelessness, Staudt said that assistance should be given to those that are cooperative, but the law must be enforced against those that prefer living on as rough sleepers. The candidate also called for a viable social housing programme in the city.

Photo: MTI – Tamas Kovacs, Janos Marjai

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters