Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony has called it “unacceptable” that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán “is waging wars against the European Union and local governments, two indispensable allies in handling the economic crisis.”
In an open letter published on his Facebook page, Karácsony said that rather than multiplying the resources needed to protect lives and livelihoods by strengthening partnerships, “Orbán is about to reject EU support for the Hungarian people”. He also said Orbán was pushing local authorities to the brink of insolvency by increasing their burdens. Although the Budapest municipality’s revenues have fallen by over 20% due to the coronavirus epidemic, the government has increased its taxes three-and-a-half-fold, and the taxes on its main water supplier four-fold, Karácsony said. “Don’t wage a war with Hungarian localities and the EU, which is offering help to the country, but rather make sure that funding reaches those entitled to it…” Karácsony said.
hungarymatters.hu
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