The fate of many capital developments may be decided after the election
The news arrived in early December that the government was reorganizing investment support and creating a significant reserve, and then Prime Minister Viktor Orbán spoke at the Government Info at the end of December that certain investments were being rescheduled (perhaps the acquisition of Budapest Airport ) and later published In the Hungarian Gazette the relevant regulation. The expenditure reduction measure affects a total of 17 budget lines, typically national projects, but the budget of the Healthy Budapest Program and the amount spent on individual developments in the capital have also decreased.
The room for maneuver of the future new government may even be that the Court of Justice of the European Union has ruled against Hungary on the applicability of the rule of law mechanism to the seven-year budget of the Union and the resources of the Rehabilitation and Resilience Building Facility (RRF). It is still a question of when the procedure will be launched, but it is already certain that the money taps, if closed, will only happen after the election.
The question is what impact this will have on investments planned across government cycles and how they will decide their fate in line with the goals of the future new government. The development plans of the capital were examined by the Folk wordhighlighting some giant projects.
Museum of Transport – Regarding the project of the institution, which will not be implemented in Városliget, the paper recalled that its implementation will be a multiple of the HUF 17 billion allocated so far for the preparation and acquisition of works of art.
New National Gallery – The government will install this in Városliget, all that is known for the time being is the investment, Minister László Baán said earlier in the InfoRádió Aréna program that the capital is blocking the investment planned by the current government to replace the former Petőfi Hall.
Super hospital – The South Buda Central Hospital would be handed over in 2026 according to the plans of last spring. Its development comes from the part of the HUF 330 billion reinforcement and resilience instrument (RRF) allocated to Hungary by the European Union. In June, Viktor Orbán confirmed at the Government Information that its construction was still planned.
HÉV – according to the paper, the development of the lines and the purchase of new trains will take away a large part of the HUF 745 billion from RRF to Budapest.
Revitalization of the Ráckeve-Danube – The program planned jointly with the water management has already started with the development of the Kvassay sluice to ensure water supply, it plans interventions worth nearly HUF 150 billion to preserve Europe’s unique swimming bogs and the diversity of flora and fauna, are targeted.
National Athletics Center – In the end, the capital and the government agreed on the construction of this, in return for which the latter pays 10 billion a year (for 5 years) of the Healthy Budapest program to Budapest. The investment is related to the development of the Ráckeve-Danube branch. The facility, which is being prepared for the 2023 World Athletics Championships, has been built in full swing, with an investment of HUF 204 billion, in addition to a stadium, there will be outdoor training grounds and a smaller park, as well as a footbridge.
Southern Railway Project, Galvanic Bridge – The government requested HUF 76.2 billion from the European Network Financing Facility (CEF2) for the pace of circuit development. Licensing plans for the Galvani Bridge could be completed recently, and traffic could start on it in 2025. The paper recalls that they would get money for this from the RRF.
Tram line on the quay of the Technical University – The second phase of the weaving tram in Buda would also be built with EU money, a discussion on the plans followed by a lively consultation between the capital and the government.
Opening image: BFK