Mayor of Budapest István Tarlós has accepted the nomination of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to run for office again in the 2019 municipal elections.
The prime minister said Mayor Tarlós will attend a cabinet meeting on Wednesday where they will set up a Budapest development council that they will lead together.
As co-chair, Mayor Tarlós will work closely with the prime minister to develop and rebuild Budapest, according to a plan that will extend to 2030.
The prime minister also confirmed that the pair had managed to come to an agreement on the sum of tens of billions of forints necessary for the refurbishment of metro line 3.
According to the prime minister, Budapest has 60 development projects that have either been completed or are in the pipeline.
The reconstruction of the ice skating rink in Városliget and the National Riding Hall, the refurbishment of the Buda Vigadó, the Dagály swimming complex, the Music Academy and the Tomb of Gül Baba, as well as the Korányi project.
The refurbishment of the Buda Castle District is under way, as is the Fiumei út cemetery and the Salgótarjáni út Jewish cemetery, the renovation of the Opera House and a new athletics stadium.
According to MTI, the projects already completed were implemented from an allocation of more than HUF 280 billion, while the projects currently under way are worth over HUF 600 billion. These do not include transport projects, which amount to a total in excess of HUF 700 billion.
“We all have a vested interest in Budapest regaining its old glory. The government itself is convinced that Hungary can only be a serious country if its capital, too, undertakes serious endeavours,” PM Orbán said.