For the Development of Rural Business Communities

The Minister of Public Administration and Regional Development, Dr, Tibor Navracsics, has met – in Lajoskomárom, southwest of Budapest – with rural business leaders at an event of the Modern & Stylish Rural Business Community (MSVK), which now brings together nearly 60 businesses. The theme of the day was current and future issues of regional development policy and the development of each region.

In his speech, the Minister stressed that in order to be among the most livable countries in the European Union, Hungary needs the population-sustaining power of the countryside and a livable countryside alongside cities. To this end, HUF 10,000 billion of EU and national funds are available until 2027, a significant part of which can be spent on rural development.

"We have common goals: we want to create a modern and stylish countryside. We want to make living in small towns and villages a choice of lifestyle rather than a difference in quality of life. To make rural areas more popular and retaining, we need attractive and locally accessible jobs, infrastructure and services that provide competitive livelihoods, high quality and a high standard of living. This is why, in the next EU development cycle, an unprecedented amount of EU and national resources will be available for locally driven development through the Urban Agenda and the extension of the Rural Development Program," he pointed out at the meeting.

According to Ida Petrik, founder of the community, "rural businesses in our business community are working to create jobs and bring quality to the countryside, thereby raising the quality of life in the community and region and contributing to development. And we are constantly working to make sure that they do this work. We see and experience on a daily basis that these entrepreneurs have an essential need to meet and connect with like-minded leaders, whether in a quality time or in a professional setting."