It has been almost three years that Benedek Jávor has been the head of the capital's representation in Brussels, but the party partner of Mayor Gergely Karácsony has not been able to show any tangible results despite the fact that in 2020 the Metropolitan Municipality increased the support of the office to three times the previous amount. - wrote Magyar Hírlap
It would be difficult to say exactly what Mayor Gergely Karácsony's party partner in dialogue, Benedek Jávor, is doing for the sake of Budapest, even the Metropolitan Municipality could not answer this question.
It is certain that there are strong ties between the two politicians, since in 2013 they started to break up the LMP, which was still pursuing a consistent policy, with their separation in 2013. They both owe their success to the fact that Párbészéd was brought together with other parties, mostly making it a satellite organization of the MSZP, so that both of them were able to reach high-profile positions without competing independently.
In 2014, due to the resignation of Gordon Bajnai, Benedek Jávor won a seat in the European Parliament representing Együtt-Párbeszéd, while Gergely Karácsony won the title of mayor of Zugló as a joint candidate of MSZP-Párbeszéd. Five years later, although Jávor failed his European Parliament mandate, Karácsony, who was elected mayor with the support of the entire left, took care of Jávor as one of his first steps and appointed him head of the capital's representation in Brussels.
The generous position was thoroughly fulfilled by the mayor, because from 2020 the cost of maintaining the representation was tripled by the Metropolitan Municipality, from HUF 37.2 million to HUF 112.1 million. Jávor can pocket a monthly salary of HUF 900,000, and in addition, at the end of 2020, when the economic difficulties associated with the coronavirus epidemic were already visible at the Capital City Municipality, Jávor also received a reward equal to his one month's salary. It has not been revealed since then what exactly was awarded by the Metropolitan Municipality.
Benedek Jávor did not share this with the press either, like Karácsony, he only speaks to carefully selected media, but in an interview with Mércé he revealed at least this much about what his task would be: , also through joint representation of common interests. Anyway, Gergely Karácsony made it quite clear at the beginning what he expects from the strengthened representation in addition to diplomacy: to get more money than it costs. We will make the capital's investment worth it."
The Magyar Hírlap tried to find out about this, according to which: "we asked the Metropolitan Municipality what the results of the costs spent on maintaining the Brussels office are?" What useful results for Budapest was Benedek Jávor able to achieve? What justified the agent's premium? How do you evaluate your activities in Brussels over the past three years?"
They have not yet received an answer to their questions sent almost two weeks ago, but it is possible that this will happen soon after careful consideration, because they previously told Mandiner after all this time had passed that in 2020 the capital received about HUF 470 million in direct funding from Brussels. In addition, tender materials worth approximately 1.62 billion were prepared. Exactly from whom and for what purpose Budapest won this amount has not been revealed since then, just as it is still unclear how long it can be used and when this money must be accounted for.
All that is known is that Jávor should lobby the Committee of the Regions of the European Union, but the body is not obliged to consider the opinion of the delegates. Thus, it is highly questionable whether the money spent on Karácsony's party partner and his office will ever pay off.
Not only the press, the representatives of the capital are also much smarter about the results of Benedek Jávor.
"The head of Budapest's representation in Brussels, Benedek Jávor, who dropped out of the EP, can manage several times more than his predecessor, since the Metropolitan Municipality increased the amount available to the Brussels office from HUF 37.2 million to HUF 112.1 million in 2020. However, not much can be known about Benedek Jávor's work so far, the only thing that can be noticed is that, as the head of the capital's representation in Brussels, he publishes inciting posts against the Hungarian government on his social media page using taxpayers' money. Playing from the score of Gergely Karácsony, he makes accusations by falsifying facts and figures and supports Brussels' sanctions policy against Russia, which has long been proven to be harmful. The mayor's man from Brussels misleads the voters in the same way as the mayor himself!" - Zsolt Wintermantel, the head of the Fidesz-KDNP faction in Budapest, commented on the activity of the dialogue office manager.
Source: Magyar Hírlap
Featured Image: MH
