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Hungarian Opinion: DK Halts the Selection of the New Director of Budapest Zoo

• 19 Dec 2022 7:45 AM
• BudaPost

The nationwide left-wing daily accuses the Democratic Coalition of just wanting to ‘show its claws’ by preventing the choice of the new city Zoo director from going ahead.

Two years after the resignation of the previous director, a well-known zoologist, Budapest City Council finally invited applications for the post. Officials invalidated the applications of 6 of the 7 applicants. The Democratic Coalition suspected irregularities and as a result of its vigorous opposition, the decision has been postponed until January.

In Népszava, Anna Szalai believes that the municipal administration had to back down because the council still has to approve next year’s budget – which would be impossible without the votes of the Democratic Coalition.

She deplores a statement by Sándor Szaniszló, who as mayor of the 18th district, sits on the city council and who compared the invalidation of six applications to the methods used by the government.

She also accuses the Democratic Coalition of frequently finding pretexts to attack the Budapest leadership (namely Mayor Gergely Karácsony, whose relations with DK leader Ferenc Gyurcsány have been thorny for the past decade).

Szalai is convinced that the only intention behind the Democratic Coalition‘s behaviour is to show that they are the strongest force in the opposition, and nothing can happen in Budapest without their consent.

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Launched in May 2011 to provide a balanced picture of matters covered in Hungary’s national press. Their aim is to make it easier for English-speakers to understand where this country is now and where it’s heading according to the full spectrum of media opinions.

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