Mayor Gergely Karácsony terminated the independence of the Horticulture Company and merged it together with Főtáv and the Funeral Institute into a large Metropolitan Public Works. The reason: cost reduction and rationalization. The former head of Főkert does not consider the withdrawal of independence to be justified, as the company's budget has been doubled by the Tarlós municipality in the past 10 years.
The Főkert, the Budapest Funeral Institute, the Fővárosi Kéményseprőipari Nonprofit Kft. and the Főtáv ceased to exist on September 1, and the legal successor of all of them became a large capital holding company, which was registered by the company court as Budapesti Közművek Nonprofit Zrt. on August 31. The horticultural profession was shocked upon hearing the decision. Szabolcs Megyeri, who was previously head gardener in Zugló led by Gergely Karácsony, protested the decision with a 24-hour demonstration.
"Yesterday, the horticultural profession and the multi-million Hungarian garden-loving community learned from a press report that the 154-year-old, independent and, depending on the tides of history, autonomous Main Garden will be abolished without any kind of social or professional consultation. The gardening profession received a shock. (…) Főkert is not just an organization that manages green surfaces. The Main Garden is one of the pillars of the Hungarian nation, which Budapest and Hungary must rely on in the fight against climate change."
- said Szabolcs Megyeri on his Facebook page.
"When corporate autonomy is damaged or eliminated, sooner or later professional autonomy is also undermined. Although this happened at Főkert, its corporate independence was practically taken away, without consultation with the profession, and this will also bring with it a decrease in professional independence," said the horticulturist.
The horticulturist said that now it's like "going back in time", because in the middle of the climate disaster, in addition to the drought in August and September, the Main Garden should have received more support, independence and space, but now it is getting much less from the political side.
Szabolcs Megyeri reminded: "If we look at the one and a half century history of Főkert, such fantastic names as Dezső Radó have shown how they stood up for their rights even in difficult circumstances".
Főkert, which is responsible for the establishment and maintenance of green areas and public parks in Budapest, was an independent institution for 154 years, but it has now reached the end of its autonomy.
Mayor Gergely Karácsony's first measure two years ago was to declare a climate emergency, and the greener capital was among the first in his program, but by canceling the Main Garden, he does not strengthen this.
Source: hirado.hu
Photo: Facebook page of Megyeri Szabolcs
