Steven N.
“We would like to see as many elements of the LMP ‘green guarantee’ program as possible in the platform of the joint opposition, as well as in the government platform. The point is to develop a lifestyle that helps maintain our quality of life, as our current way of living is unsustainable,” said Máté Kanász-Nagy, co-chair of green party LMP at a press conference for its “Green Turn” declaration held jointly with Péter Márki-Zay (pictured), the opposition’s candidate for prime minister.
Kanász-Nagy stressed that a change in government will lead to a new perspective, one in which the environment, economy, and society will be treated in a holistic manner.
The opposition parties have set as a target the EU’s climate policy goals, such as increasing the share of renewable energy in Hungary. Another important goal is to preserve and improve the quality of water, air, and green spaces. Air quality is particularly important as 15,000 people lose their lives every year due to poor air quality. To make all this happen, the opposition would set up a separate ministry focused on protecting the climate.
Péter Márki-Zay spoke about our duty to preserve the planet, because we did not inherit it from our ancestors, he says, but borrowed it from our grandchildren. “Our primary responsibility is to take care of a clean environment,” he added.
He stressed that all parties in the coalition agree on a “green minimum,” which he believes is in everyone’s common interest. There are, of course, parts of the platform on which there is no common position, but there is an agreement on the basic direction it should go.
Márki-Zay claimed that the most environmentally-friendly energy is that which is not produced. This would represent a real utility reduction, said the Hódmezővásárhely mayor, stressing that building insulation, replacing doors and windows, and installing heat pumps and solar panels must help the poorest, thereby not only protecting the environment but also reducing costs for those affected.
At the end of the press conference, the parties present then signed an agreement on implementing these goals into reality.
“In the light of all this, I am pleased to sign the agreement, not only as a candidate for prime minister, but also on behalf of the six-party opposition coalition and for all of you,” concluded the candidate for prime minister.
