– The opposition LMP party called for a referendum regarding the rules of Hungary's Architecture Law on priority investments. The Constitutional Court rejected the constitutionality complaint filed by the Ministry of Construction and Transport, allowing LMP to start collecting signatures. Why is it important to keep the current rules on priority investments?
– It is in Hungary's strategic interest to maintain the rules of Hungary's Architecture Law on priority investments, therefore the application of the priority procedure is an option that Hungary cannot forgo. Recently, after many years, Hungary has gained the ability to compete with other nearby countries and effectively reach foreign economic players, encouraging them to choose Hungary as their investment destination. It is not enough to attract foreign investment, we must also retain it. One such tool is the possibility of prioritizing certain investments, which could provide a kind of regulated fast-track for investors who create jobs and boost the country's economy.
– Classifying a given investment as priority investment also means that we can determine unique, specific rules for it, so that – our critics say – we need to pay less attention to environmental, architectural and heritage considerations. How do you respond to these criticisms?
– In view of our experiences gained during implementation, parliament has already, almost a year ago, clarified and tightened the set of rules for priority projects in order to further reduce the theoretical risks inherent in the possibility of classifying projects as priority investments. So from that point on, besides investments serving the direct public interest (such as military, national security, disaster prevention, education, culture, health, social, religious or ethnic development projects), only private investments of strategic importance for the national economy, or costing at least HUF 100 billion and creating at least 100 new jobs, or located in an industrial park or logistics park, can be declared priority investments.
– 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)
