#25 FEPS Talks: For a free and green Budapest
Kata T\xfctt\u0151, Deputy Lord Mayor of Budapest, and L\xe1szl\xf3 Andor, FEPS Secretary General discuss the responsibilities of municipalities at the time of the COVID-19 crisis. Budapest elected a progressive government last October, which immediately announced climate emergency, relaunched social dialogue and decided upon wage increases for public employees. Today Kata T\xfctt\u0151 is in charge of the response to the COVID-19 outbreak in the Hungarian capital where she is making sure that citizens and employees feel protected and they can rely on quality public services.The coronavirus crisis is a formidable challenge, not least because Hungary\u2019s Prime Minister Viktor Orb\xe1n is using the health emergency for another power grab. How the European Union should act in this new chapter of the Hungarian Rule of Law crisis? Could the EU provide funds directly to municipalities? Can the leadership of the city maintain the long-term climate agenda while fighting for the health and safety of its citizens?