Janos Lazar: We'll Give Investors a Fast Track

It is not enough to attract foreign investment, it is also necessary to retain it, which is why it is in Hungary's strategic interest to maintain the current rules on priority investments, Janos Lazar, Minister of Construction and Transport, told Magyar Nemzet. Mr. Lazar emphasized that all legal options would be examined and applied to ensure that the opposition LMP party's referendum initiative would not prevent the implementation of infrastructure developments with significant value add, serving the interest of the people.

Janos Lazar, Hungary's Minister of Construction and Transport (Photo: Miklos Teknos)

– What are the guarantees that it's not just the investor's the private interests that will prevail? 

– Compared against the previous law, the new legislation introduces significant restrictions so that, while promoting our national economic interests, it does not allow private investor interests to prevail to the detriment of local individuals. However, it provides guarantees for them to preserve a liveable residential environment and to create value-added employment, locally. To ensure the individual priority projects' architectural quality and their integration into the local townscape and environment, the National Council of Architectural Design must also assess these projects in merit.

– The ruling by the Constitutional Court paved the way for LMP to start collecting 200,000 signatures needed to call a plebiscite. What's your opinion on this?

– The national-minded government is committed to maintaining the new framework supporting priority investments, as established by the National Assembly, so it will examine and use all legal options to ensure that LMP's referendum initiative does not prevent the implementation of infrastructure developments with significant value add, serving the interest of the people. Because this is what's in Hungary's interest, and also in the interest of Hungarian people.

Cover photo: Janos Lazar, Hungary's Minister of Construction and Transport (Photo: Miklos Teknos)