Free use of Budapest's Heroes' Square sparks controversy

The Budapest Assembly has given permission to a company to use Hősök tere (Heroes' Square) for free for a horse race in late May or early June, reports Népszava. The decision came one year after the same company had been given permission to hold a similar event at the same location, but which was later canceled.

Vágta Kft's request was approved by a majority vote by the cityscape protection committee of the Budapest Assembly on Wednesday, February 6. The committee chairman, Fidesz member Attila Ughy, said he could not easily explain why the company was allowed to use the square for free, as the event itself is profit-oriented. The company asked for Ft 10 million (€37,800) from every local government wanting to participate in the race last year, despite requesting to use the square free of charge as the event would make Budapest more attractive to tourists.

This year, Vágta Kft can use Hősök tere and Olof Palme sétány for the horse race between May 26 and June 2. They would place horse boxes along Városligeti körút up to Zichy Mihály utca, and tents on Andrássy út between Bajza utca and Dózsa György út.

Meanwhile, the Borfalu wine festival has not received permission to use the nearby Ötvenhatosok tere (formerly Felvonulási tér) for the first time in several years. It would have been held between August 11 and 26, but the organizers of the ARC poster exhibition - who are also associated with Vágta - had earlier received permission to use the square. The organizers of Borfalu said that they had requested the permit for this year's event as early as August 2007.

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