Oberie Orbán Slovakia about buildings and monuments? – World – News
The Hungarian government is fond of Slovak real estate. It set up the Foundation for the Protection of the Built-in Heritage in Central Europe and transferred to it the assets, assets and shares of two state-owned companies with a total value of approximately EUR 44 million.
photo: TASR / AP, Olivier Hoslet
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán
At the same time, Viktor Orbán’s government is going to do what it forbids other countries on its territory. At the same time, it intends to act in sharp contrast to the established principles that apply in interstate relations.
The foundation was established on the basis of the law. The state has a clear influence on its decision-making. The members of the Board of the Foundation are high-ranking representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Levente Magyar, State Secretary of the Ministry of Diplomacy, became its chairman. The board also includes Péter Kiss-Parciu, Deputy State Secretary for Cross-Border Regional and Economic Cooperation, and Orsolya Pacsay-Tomassich, director of the diplomatic academy and one deputy foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó. This member of Orbán’s government was commissioned to establish a foundation.
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According to the geographical focus of the foundation, real estate in Slovakia will also be in its viewfinder. Hungary has already made one such attempt, but eventually stepped away from it. After strong criticism from Slovakia in the middle of this month, Orbán’s government annulled its resolution on the creation of a fund to buy arable land in neighboring states.
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The functioning of the Foundation for the Protection of the Built-in Heritage in Central Europe clearly damaged Hungary’s neighborly relations with Slovakia. The rule is that the state buys real estate in another country only for diplomatic purposes. And you inform the other party in advance about your intention, even with the stated consent at the same time. However, the foundation would certainly buy real estate for purposes other than the creation of state embassies (consulates or cultural institutions for foreign economic purposes).
The second problem can also be formulated as a question. Why do Orbán people want to buy real estate in Central Europe for state money, when Hungary does not allow this on its territory? The country prohibits defending the legal land of foreign states, its regions or state institutions. And when buying a building, of course, the new owner also pays for the land below it.
The wording of the law on the foundation to try to save and preserve the built heritage in Central Europe, which is a very broad wording in terms of content. The purchase of privately owned monuments can also fall under it. The law stipulates that the foundation will receive buildings and structures for money that are significant from the point of view of Hungarian history.
By the way, Hungary has already started buying real estate in neighboring countries with state money, which also applies to Slovakia. Related countries are Slovenia and Romania. In all of them, this is an area where the Hungarian national minority is strongly represented.
As for the Hungarian ban on land ownership, including agricultural land, it can be described as absolute. It cannot be bought by the state, nor by anyone unconnected, or by any territorial unit of a foreign country.
Hungary’s steps are actually aimed at purchasing the Slovak cultural heritage. All the more appropriate is the question of what position he will take on this plan of the Orbán government. If Slovakia wants to achieve the goal set by the Orbán family for the foundation, it can do so in only one way. This step would require the approval of a draft constitutional law on exceeding the acquisition of foreign real estate, or its other components. According to the Constitution of the Slovak Republic, the adoption of such a legal norm requires the consent of a two-thirds operation in the National Council. This means that the draft constitutional law would pass if at least 90 members of the 150-member parliament voted for it.