Walter Katalin Resigns as Head of Budapest Transport Center
Walter Katalin has stepped down from her position, citing challenges and a lack of support amid ongoing political pressures.
Walter Katalin, the Chief Executive Officer of the Budapest Transport Center (BKK Zrt.), announced her resignation on Thursday.
In her resignation letter, she stated that she would withdraw her application for the new leadership role and will not participate in the forthcoming selection process.
Walter indicated that this difficult decision followed extensive reflection, noting that when she submitted her application on March 31, she believed she could successfully continue her work despite challenges and difficulties.
In her statement, she expressed disillusionment, stating, "I believed that in Budapest, results and qualifications matter.
Unfortunately, all my illusions have dissipated by now."
Walter was appointed by the Mayor of Budapest, Gergely Karácsony, in 2021. Notably, she had previously offered to resign in January of the preceding year after comments surfaced regarding her comparison of BKK passengers to Thanksgiving turkeys during a private discussion.
At that time, she received support from Mayor Karácsony despite facing criticism.
In reaction to the news of Walter's resignation, Mayor Karácsony remarked, "Budapest is poorer again.
I regret this, but I deeply understand if someone concludes, following yesterday’s City Assembly, that this cannot continue."
He highlighted ongoing uncertainties affecting municipal companies and their leaders, stating that the current leadership selection process has been marred by amateurism, pettiness, and has devolved into farce due to personal egos and unsatisfactory political conduct.
He emphasized the strain this has placed on over 27,000 city employees while addressing the financial and operational viability of Budapest.
Karácsony commended Walter for her diligence, expertise, and humility towards the city during her tenure.
Her accomplishments included the development of initiatives like Budapest Go, the renewal of the Bubi bike-sharing program, and overseeing the renovation of the Chain Bridge.
Despite challenging financial circumstances, she continually advanced public transportation, acquiring new buses and trams, and modernizing BKK.
Furthermore, she presided over the European Transport Companies Organization.
The mayor noted that Walter endured undue criticism and personal attacks throughout her tenure, asserting that the broader political climate of Budapest compelled her resignation.
Karácsony explicitly attributed part of the issue to Vitézy Dávid, suggesting that his intolerance for successful leadership at BKK contributed to Walter's departure.
The head of the Podmaniczky Movement faction expressed gratitude for Walter’s leadership, acknowledging that her tenure brought stability to BKK, particularly following a tumultuous period around 2019-2020. Allegations of corruption connected to BKV, the municipal transport company, ultimately impacted Walter's position.
During a committee meeting, she reportedly confirmed that BKK approved a five-year extension to a contract related to BKV’s IT system, a decision made under pressure.
Vitézy stated that Walter had attempted to signal concerns regarding BKV’s management publicly but seemed to face obstructions from city leadership.
He urged Mayor Karácsony to convene the leaders of municipal factions involved in the city’s operations to seek solutions to these ongoing challenges.
In her resignation letter, she stated that she would withdraw her application for the new leadership role and will not participate in the forthcoming selection process.
Walter indicated that this difficult decision followed extensive reflection, noting that when she submitted her application on March 31, she believed she could successfully continue her work despite challenges and difficulties.
In her statement, she expressed disillusionment, stating, "I believed that in Budapest, results and qualifications matter.
Unfortunately, all my illusions have dissipated by now."
Walter was appointed by the Mayor of Budapest, Gergely Karácsony, in 2021. Notably, she had previously offered to resign in January of the preceding year after comments surfaced regarding her comparison of BKK passengers to Thanksgiving turkeys during a private discussion.
At that time, she received support from Mayor Karácsony despite facing criticism.
In reaction to the news of Walter's resignation, Mayor Karácsony remarked, "Budapest is poorer again.
I regret this, but I deeply understand if someone concludes, following yesterday’s City Assembly, that this cannot continue."
He highlighted ongoing uncertainties affecting municipal companies and their leaders, stating that the current leadership selection process has been marred by amateurism, pettiness, and has devolved into farce due to personal egos and unsatisfactory political conduct.
He emphasized the strain this has placed on over 27,000 city employees while addressing the financial and operational viability of Budapest.
Karácsony commended Walter for her diligence, expertise, and humility towards the city during her tenure.
Her accomplishments included the development of initiatives like Budapest Go, the renewal of the Bubi bike-sharing program, and overseeing the renovation of the Chain Bridge.
Despite challenging financial circumstances, she continually advanced public transportation, acquiring new buses and trams, and modernizing BKK.
Furthermore, she presided over the European Transport Companies Organization.
The mayor noted that Walter endured undue criticism and personal attacks throughout her tenure, asserting that the broader political climate of Budapest compelled her resignation.
Karácsony explicitly attributed part of the issue to Vitézy Dávid, suggesting that his intolerance for successful leadership at BKK contributed to Walter's departure.
The head of the Podmaniczky Movement faction expressed gratitude for Walter’s leadership, acknowledging that her tenure brought stability to BKK, particularly following a tumultuous period around 2019-2020. Allegations of corruption connected to BKV, the municipal transport company, ultimately impacted Walter's position.
During a committee meeting, she reportedly confirmed that BKK approved a five-year extension to a contract related to BKV’s IT system, a decision made under pressure.
Vitézy stated that Walter had attempted to signal concerns regarding BKV’s management publicly but seemed to face obstructions from city leadership.
He urged Mayor Karácsony to convene the leaders of municipal factions involved in the city’s operations to seek solutions to these ongoing challenges.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
