The fate of the big cities where the left took over the management of the settlement in 2019, instead of the former Fidesz-KDNP leadership, was very similar and typically not good, according to the compilation of Magyar Nemzet. It is typical that the developments progress slowly, or even stop, and rather only those programs that are realized as a state investment go ahead. Almost everywhere, the heads of the offices and local government companies were replaced, and in several places friends were installed in important positions, more than once for increased salaries.

When I handed over the leadership of the city of Érd to László Csőzik, the winner of the election, as the outgoing mayor on November 14, 2019, we left HUF 40.5 billion in development money, of which HUF 12.5 billion had not yet been committed. Compared to this, hardly anything happened in the settlement - the leader of the Fidesz faction in Érd told Magyar Nemzet about this. András T. Mészáros said that the developments, which were signed during the time of the Fidesz-KDNP leadership, are being built with great delay, and the construction started even then. As an example, he mentioned the Fenyves-Parkváros Public Education Center, which was completed a year ago together with the associated swimming pool and sports hall, but has not yet been put into use. As András T. Mészáros pointed out: the public procurement for the institution's equipment is only now being announced.

Since the public procurements slip a lot, due to inflation, the city is always asking the government for extra funds, and if they don't get money, they scold the cabinet, he pointed out. As a positive counterexample, he mentioned that state investments are progressing well in Érd, so the beautiful building of the court and the prosecutor's office was recently completed.

In Miskolc, the budget has shown a slight increase since 2019, the most important tax revenues of the municipality remained stable even during the epidemic period. All of this is important because the left-wing city administration often complains that the budget does not have the funds for certain tasks and purposes.

András Hollósy, the Fidesz-KDNP faction spokesman, said: in accordance with this, they tried to reach for the usual left-wing tools, they wanted to apply huge population cuts, fee and rent increases, and they tried to improve the situation by taking a brutal, most recently HUF eight billion loan and selling off public assets.

- Fortunately, the government blocked the austerity and price increases planned by the left-wing city administration, canceled the rent increases, and did not allow the increase of local taxes. Of course, in the midst of difficulties, he used public money for friends, millions of dollars in income, doubled councilor's salary, sports jobs, a HUF 25 million luxury bus or even a trip to Dubai, he added.

The full article of Magyar Nemzet can be read here

Author: Attila Borsodi

Image: Participants in the Modern Cities program at the inauguration of the Kanizsa Aréna multifunctional sports and event hall, which was built with about HUF 15 billion, on December 4, 2021. (Photo: MTI/György Varga)