By February 28 the remaining portion of every Hungarian local council's debt totalling 420 billion forints (EUR 1.4bn) will have been taken over by the central government, Minister of State heading the Prime Minister's Office János Lázár stated on Monday.

He told a news conference that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán would hold consultations with the councils in question on November 19. He expects them to take an active role in stimulating the local economy in return, he stated. This measure to consolidate the sector covers the debt of 300 settlements, each with a population of over 5000 people, he added. Last year the debts of 1700 municipalities with fewer than 5000 residents were taken over nationwide, in a total amount of 80 billion forints (EUR 280m).

At the press conference, Minister of State Lázár answered a question from a journalist in regard to Sunday’s event and  pointed out that since the governing party already condemned the event, there is no further need for the Government to form an official position, because it is obvious. He emphasised that the interwar period in Hungary should be assessed by historians and not by politicians.

(Prime Minister's Office)