Budapest mayor calls for urgent talks on EU funding

Karacsony said he sent a letter to Tibor Navracsics, the minister in charge of regional development and using EU funding, in which he again expressed Budapest’s willingness to cooperate with the central government.

He welcomed Navracsics’s remarks earlier in the week on the government’s readiness to reach an agreement with the European Commission.

“That’s great news, as Hungary has a chance to be the last one in the EU to finally access EU funding!” he said.

“In this situation it would be urgent and important for Budapest and the government to act together,” he added.

Karacsony proposed Navracsics take advantage of the network and lobbying power of Budapest in talks with the EC.

He said Navracsics had already responded to his letter and wrote that a meeting could take place with the mayor “in the second half of July”.

“Until then, Budapest will continue its work with its European partners,” he added.