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General Assembly of Budapest unanimously approved the anti-corruption minimum program
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Members of the General Assembly of Budapest expressed their unanimous commitment to the implementation of the anti-corruption minimum program developed by K-Monitor, Transparency International Hungary, and Atlatszo. The proposal was submitted by newly elected Budapest mayor Gergely Karácsony on the first gathering of the General Assembly on Tuesday. Now in an opposition position in Budapest, Fidesz politicians also liked our proposal, and voted for its implementation. Moreover, the Hungarian News Agency, and state-run media also covered the initiative.
Developed by the 3 nonprofit organizations, This is the minimum! program identified six key areas, where we asked candidates in municipal elections to commit themselves to putting into practice 21st century minimum standards for local government transparency:
Hungarian NGOs call for local government transparency again before municipal elections
Atlatszo, K-Monitor and Transparency International Hungary identified six key areas, where we ask candidates in municipal elections to commit themselves to putting into practice 21st century minimum standards for local government transparency. Candidates can join the initiative at the ezaminimum.hu webpage.
In his motion at the first meeting of the General Assembly of Budapest on Tuesday newly elected Budapest mayor Gergely Karácsony recalled that nonprofit organizations had called for the implementation of their anti-corruption minimum program before the municipal elections:
“As a candidate for mayor, I made this commitment myself, so I propose to the General Assembly to commit to the implementation of the minimum program and, as a first step, to approve a decree on the transparency and operation of Budapest Municipality” – Karácsony said.
The minimum program will be extended to institutions and companies run by the capital, but as a first step, the current disclosure practices and infrastructure should be assessed, according to the decree approved by the General Assembly unanimously.
More candidates committed than 5 years ago
Before the local government elections on October 13, 2019, twice as many, 390 candidates had committed to the minimum program than five years earlier.
Back then 193 candidates joined, 43 of them won seats in 2014. Almost without exception, they have initiated the implementation of the program in their municipalities. In many places, however, the majority of the body or the notary obstructed the attempt, but still dozens of settlements became more transparent as a result of the initiative.
Candidates now joining the minimum program have pledged, within a 100-day mandate, to submit a decree about transparency and accountability in their local governments. The signatories included 39 mayoral candidates, 15 of them won seats, and 390 municipal representatives, 170 of them won seats in October.
Miklós Ligeti, Legal Director of Transparency International Hungary, said in a speech before the General Assembly of Budapest voted on the matter, that it is very simple to summarize the proposal: Don’t steal!