Karacsony called the move, like previous ones, "unlawful", noting that the city has sought legal protection from the courts. Although the court has not yet ruled on the request, he argued that the mere filing of the motion should have prevented the government from making the withdrawal.

"We need a government that respects the law and complies with legal decisions. But this government is not that," he said.

The mayor vowed to pursue legal action once more, expressing confidence in success. "We have reason to believe we will win this time too, and then the government will have to repay with interest what it has taken from Budapest today."

Karacsony noted that the government had justified the seizure by citing industrial tax revenue, which is not due until March. "They're taking money that does not yet exist," he said.

He added that it was ironic that the seizure coincided with the release of "dismal" national GDP data, which showed minimal growth driven by the service sector and tourism, both of which are centered in Budapest.

The mayor said that if Budapest, as the engine of the country's economy and the heart of its cultural and intellectual life, stalled, progress stalled throughout the country, too, leading to "severe damage".

MTI Stock Photo - for illustrative purposes only

Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881. While MTI articles are usually factual, some may contain political bias, and readers should be aware that such content does not reflect the position of XpatLoop, which is neutral and independent.

Since the goal of XpatLoop is to keep readers well briefed, right across the spectrum of opinions, MTI items are shared to ensure readers are aware of all narratives within the local media.

XpatLoop believes in empowering readers to form their own views through complete and comprehensive coverage. To facilitate this XpatLoop has a balanced range of news partners, as you can see when you surf around XpatLoop.com
 

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