ECONOMIC ATTACK ON VILLAGES

The government wants to withdraw a record sum of HUF 26.8 billion from the budget of the National Regional Development Programme of this and the next year. Though Premier Gyurcsány had spoken of an unparalleled subsidy of agriculture, in fact the bulk of the agricultural budget for the next year can come from subsidies by the European Union.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Regional Development has acute financial problems though its budget for the next year is not known, not even discussed so far. They try to reduce the deficit by withdrawing money from small farms and family businesses taking part in regional development programmes. This is the essence of the interview which Magyar Nemzet has made with Professor József Ángyán who represents the national union of farmers’ circles in the monitoring committee supervising the National Regional Development Programme.

He said the latest session of the committee, with the votes of the civil servants employed by the Ministry of Agriculture, in spite of the European norms of the reconciliation of interests, had approved of the reduction. Other NGOs have also expressed their alarm over the plan which is diametrically opposed to the present goals of the European Union.

Translated by Péter Szentmihályi Szabó