Debrecen4U
September 26, 2025
Mayor László Papp appeared as the first guest on Médiacentrum Debrecen’s newly launched program
On Friday, September 26, Debrecen will reach a historic moment: the BMW Group Plant Debrecen will officially open, and the series production of the iX3 model will begin. In connection with this milestone event in the life of the city, the first guest of the newly debuted public affairs program “HírPONT” of Médiacentrum Debrecen was Mayor László Papp, with whom Editor-in-Chief Zsuzsa Keserű spoke. In addition to the BMW plant, the real estate market situation in Debrecen, green city developments, and the situation surrounding DVSC were also discussed.
“The future can begin here, in Debrecen,” said the mayor, emphasizing that the arrival of BMW will open a new era in the life of the city not only from an economic but also from a social and technological perspective.
According to László Papp, Debrecen is now the focus of interest not only domestically but also internationally, especially in the fields of electromobility and the vehicle industry. Friday’s opening not only marks the handover of a new plant but also the city’s becoming a key player in the European automotive industry.
“Debrecen is in the spotlight of international interest in many ways. One of the most impressive examples of this is the automotive industry and electromobility. Debrecen is now considered a very serious epicenter of the European automotive industry,” he said.
In response to a viewer question, László Papp firmly denied that the city had given any tax breaks to BMW or any other multinational company.
“BMW’s investment is of such magnitude that it is completely unnecessary to consider how the local government could contribute to this. We have helped by purchasing land, transforming it, and participating in infrastructure investments, but the city does not provide tax breaks. In fact, we expect them to pay a lot of taxes,” he emphasized, adding that the city’s business tax revenue has increased nearly fourfold since 2014, to HUF 39 billion.
Among the comments on Dehir’s social media page, several people complained about the rise in real estate prices, to which the mayor responded: companies coming to Debrecen are competing for labor in such a way that it has a very good effect on wages, but there are also areas of development that are not necessarily favorable.
“Debrecen property owners can be happy about this, as they have a much higher asset value at their disposal. For those who want to buy, this is a challenge,” he said, adding that the aim of the Otthon Start Program is precisely to curb the runaway prices with a preferential loan available at a 3 percent interest rate.
The mayor confirmed that the Főnix Housing Program is currently suspended, but it can be expected to be restarted in the future after evaluating the experiences.
Debrecen at the gates of the European Green Capital
The HírPONT also mentioned that Debrecen was among the three most likely candidates for the title of European Green Capital. The decision will be made soon, but the results so far are already noteworthy.
“The European Commission assessed that there is an intensive economic process in the “cívis” city, and despite this, attention has remained in the field of environmental protection and sustainability. The second phase of the Civaqua program, the afforestation, the adoption of the Green Codex and the establishment of the Environmental Monitoring System all contributed to this,” the mayor detailed.
Regarding the change of leadership at the head of Nagyerdei Kultúrpark Kft., László Papp made it clear: a sense of lack developed in the local government regarding the work of the previous executive, which is why his mandate was not extended.
“The cultural park is one of our most important measures in the coming period. We want to coordinate the development of the zoo with the establishment of the future Hungarian Natural History Museum. Our goal has not changed,” emphasized the city leader.
The financial situation of the Debrecen football club, DVSC, was also discussed. According to recent news, payments were delayed, which was caused by uncertainty in the ownership structure.
“I have been close to the management of the club for almost three decades, there were difficulties, but the municipality always knew what to do. There is now a negotiation on the majority ownership position on the agenda, which the parties have not yet concluded. This caused the liquidity problem, which had to be solved. I am working to ensure that the club can operate in the most stable conditions possible,” concluded Mayor László Papp.
Source:dehir.hu
