The mayor of Budapest, who in 2019 as an opposition candidate in the local elections in the capital of Hungary defeated the incumbent Viktor Orbán, was on a two-day visit to Belgrade. He was welcomed by Dobrica Veselinović, a representative of the Green-Left Front and a member of the Provisional Authority of the capital of Serbia. Among other things, they exchanged experiences of how to fight against autocrats like Aleksandar Vučić and Orban, who occupied state investments and the media, as an opposition member.
The meeting was held in the Assembly of Belgrade, which has not been visited by the mayor of a European city for a long time. Veselinović tells "Vreme" that the goal of this visit is to exchange experience in managing the city.
"After winning the elections, the mayor of Budapest launched many projects that helped the city better deal with the problems of traffic jams and the problem of housing inaccessibility, and he launched the 'Free Cities Initiative' with the aim of promoting cities and local governments as one a kind of dam against authoritarian regimes and neoliberal attacks on public goods and nature", says Veselinović.
At the press conference, Gergelj Karačonj said that the reason for his visit is primarily that an investment similar to Belgrade on the water is being prepared in Budapest - the legal framework is similar, the investor is similar and, in general, the whole concept, and that's why he decided to come because he realized that it was only good for investors, but not for the citizens of Belgrade.
Veselinović states that Orban also hinted that a lex specialis would be created for a part of Budapest, just like the one adopted in Serbia for Belgrade on the water, with the same partners from the United Arab Emirates and with the desire to bypass the local government.
"It is important for us to convey to the mayor of Budapest our experiences, analysis and effects of that project in Belgrade so that they can prepare for what follows there," says Veselinović.
Karačonj also met with activists who opposed Belgrade on the water and who spoke about the impact of that project on long-term development.
Green Mayor
The mayor of Budapest, Gergelj Karacsonj, was born on June 11, 1975 in Feherjarmat, a small town in northeastern Hungary. He is the co-president of the Dialog-Green party.
He is a political scientist by profession, graduated in history and sociology at the University of Budapest. With his partner, Virag Kish, he is the father of one daughter.
From 2002 to 2008, he was an advisor in the office of the Prime Minister, in 2014 he was elected the head of Zuglo, XIV. district of Budapest. In April 2017, he was elected co-president of the Dialog-Greens party. In 2018, he was a candidate for Prime Minister in the elections, Viktor Orbán defeated him.
On October 2019, 50,86, the united opposition parties chose him as a candidate for the mayor of Budmipesta in the local elections. He won 44,10 percent of the votes, his opponent from Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party, István Tarlos, XNUMX percent.
Budapest has 1,76 million inhabitants, Hungary 9,71. At the Dialog-Green party congress on July 22, 2022, he no longer ran for co-president of that party in order to devote himself fully to his duties in the capital. It is believed that he is preparing to fight for the position of Prime Minister of Hungary in the next elections.
