Mayor in Hungary Misuses EU Funds to Build Treeless Treetop Walkway
In a bizarre turn of events, a mayor in eastern Hungary applied for European Union funds to build a “treetop canopy walkway” in his village, only to cut down all the trees on the land before construction began. The walkway now stands on an expanse of empty dirt, offering panoramic views of nothing but barren land.
The mayor, a supporter of Hungary’s governing Fidesz party, secured a grant worth about $175,000 for the project in the village of Nyirmartonfalva. However, the European Union canceled the funding after discovering that the walkway did not comply with the terms of the grant application.
The incident has sparked outrage among opposition legislators and investigative journalists, who see it as a prime example of corruption and misuse of EU funds by political allies of Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The mayor, Filemon Maholy, has also received funding for other projects, including a tree-planting program and a guesthouse built next to his own home.
The misuse of EU funds in Hungary has been a long-standing issue, with Transparency International ranking the country as the most corrupt in the EU. The recent revelations have further fueled public anger and led to the formation of a movement to resist the corruption and nepotism of Orban’s party.
While the mayor has tried to downplay the controversy, residents of Nyirmartonfalva are not amused by the treeless treetop walkway. Many see it as a symbol of the government’s misuse of public funds for political gain. As investigations into the project continue, the mayor’s actions have raised questions about accountability and transparency in Hungary’s use of EU funds.
