Weekly government press briefing – Budapest developments, referendum, farmland sales – UPDATE

Budapest, July 7 (MTI) – The government has made several decisions concerning development projects in Budapest, government office chief János Lázár told his regular weekly press conference on Thursday.  Hungary refuses to enter into any compromise that would hamper the country’s security, he said. The government will seek parliament’s approval on how to spend revenue flowing in from the sale of state farmland, Lázár said on Thursday.

Govt approves Budapest developments

It has approved a plan to renovate the National Széchenyi Library’s main building in the Buda Castle. A tender will be called for the designs of the project, which includes building a new warehouse in Piliscsaba, north of Budapest, he said.

The Hungarian National Museum will be offered access to use several buildings of the Palace quarter, the area behind the museum’s current location on Museum boulevard in the 8th district. In the areas between the national museum and these buildings, green spaces will be restored and expanded, he added.

The Hungarian State Opera House’s main building on Andrassy boulevard will be renovated with a budget of 25 billion forints (EUR 79m).

Further, the Science Museum will be housed in a new central building, Lázár said.

On the subject of the contested City Park (Városliget) project, which is facing protests by environmentalists, Lázár underlined that the proportion of green areas in the park would rise from the current 60 to 65-70 percent. He said protests are allowed within the framework of the law.

Hungary will not compromise on security

Hungary will not allow anyone to cross its border unchecked, Lázár said, insisting that the country must protect its right to decide who it wants to allow in. This is why it was necessary to amend the country’s border regulations, he said, referring to new rules that entered into force on Tuesday.

The government office chief said it was unfair of European politicians and international organisations to call into question Hungary’s solidarity and criticise its laws.

“What could be a greater show of solidarity than Hungary protecting Europe’s borders — largely with its own funds — and stopping people who try to enter unchecked without documents?” Lázár said.

Regarding the recent dispute between Hungary and Austria on reinstating border checks, Lázár said Hungary’s interests lie in resolving its disputes and deepening ties with its western neighbour. Hungary is constantly in contact with Austrian border authorities, he said, insisting that Hungary “is not doing anything to hamper” bilateral cooperation.

Lázár said Prime Minister Viktor Orbán had invited Austrian Chancellor Christian Kern for talks in Budapest and the chancellor is expected to oblige within the next few weeks.

On the subject of the NATO conference starting (in Warsaw) on Friday, Lázár said the government is well-prepared. Two years ago NATO decided to raise defence spending significantly, and to comply, Hungary has raised its own spending by 20 percent since 2010. Although this is still far from NATO’s requirement, it is a first step to strengthening Hungary’s defence forces, he said.