Published: December 05 2023
The Hungarian opposition party, LMP, is fighting against the government's abuse of the "priority investments" legal category. They believe that this category allows the government to launch investments anywhere in the country without considering the rules, community interests, or local opinions and decisions.
LMP's concerns about the law on priority investments
LMP considers the law on priority investments to be "the law of lawlessness" as it allows the government to ignore important factors and have full control over investments. They argue that this law should be scrapped in order to give municipalities the right to have a say or even veto investments that may negatively impact the lives of their residents.
Proposal to void the legal regulation
LMP member Mária Szendefy suggests that the legal regulation enabling projects to be classified as priority investments should be voided. She believes that the current form of the law does not serve the public interest and proposes the introduction of a new law to achieve the intended goal. The recent approval of LMP's initiative for a referendum on withdrawing the law by the Kúria, the supreme court, has provided an opportunity for public input on this issue.
Criticism of a specific project
Szendefy criticizes a tourism development project near Lake Fertő as an example of the negative consequences of priority investments. Despite financial constraints, the government declared this project a priority investment in 2018. As a result, the locals have been unable to use the lakeshore, the natural habitat has been destroyed, and many iconic hay-roofed huts have been demolished. The environmental permit for the original plan was recently revealed, and it remains uncertain what the final outcome of the project will be.
Initiative for a referendum
If the constitutional court does not prevent it, the collection of signatures necessary for a referendum on withdrawing the law on priority investments could begin within weeks. This would give the public the opportunity to voice their concerns and potentially influence the future of this legal category.
Questions & Answers
What is the "law on priority investments" in Hungary? The "law on priority investments" in Hungary allows the government to launch big investments anywhere in the country, without necessarily considering the rules, interests of the community, or local opinions and decisions.
What is the opposition party LMP fighting against in Hungary? The opposition party LMP is fighting against the government's abuse of the "law on priority investments" in Hungary. They believe that this law allows the government to ignore the rules, community interests, and local decisions when implementing big investments.
What does LMP want to achieve by scrapping the "law on priority investments"? LMP wants to return the right to municipalities to have a say over, or even veto, an investment if they believe it would have a negative impact on the lives of their residents. They believe that local communities should have a voice in the decision-making process of big investments.
What did the Kúria recently approve in relation to LMP's opposition to the "law on priority investments"? The Kúria, Hungary's supreme court, recently approved LMP's initiative for a referendum to be held on withdrawing the law introducing the category of priority investment in the national economy. This means that if the constitutional court does not prevent it, the collection of signatures necessary for holding a referendum could begin within weeks.
What example did LMP cite as a criticism of the "law on priority investments"? LMP cited a tourism development project near Lake Fertő as an example. Despite financial constraints, the government declared it a priority investment in 2018. As a result, the locals were unable to use the lakeshore for years, and the natural habitat was destroyed. Many of the iconic hay-roofed huts were also destroyed.
What does LMP believe should be done about the "law on priority investments"? LMP believes that the legal regulation enabling projects to be classified as priority investments should be void. They argue that the law, in its current form, does not serve the public interest and that a new law should be introduced to achieve the intended goal. They are pushing for a referendum to be held to gather public opinion on the matter.
