Pest County
The Municipality of Pest County was established in 1990 under the Local Government Act. Its primary objective is to execute the tasks mandated by law. The General Assembly of Pest County serves as the municipality's key decision-making body, consisting of 44 members elected directly by the county's residents. Four committees support the Assembly's work, with external members joining Assembly members. The President of the Pest County Assembly, along with three Vice-Presidents, oversee the Assembly's responsibilities.
The Pest County Municipal Government Office bears the responsibility for organizing the municipality's work professionally. The Local Government Office comprises several departments, including the Office of the County Clerk, the Office of the President and Regional Development, the Financial Office, the Economic Development Office, and the Pact Office. Among its duties, the Pest County Local Government Office plans and coordinates regional development at the county level, supports economic and infrastructure development, maintains international relationships, establishes new partnerships, and actively participates in development initiatives within and beyond the county.
As the largest project development organization in the region, both nationally and internationally, the office coordinates the development ideas of municipalities, economic, cultural, and civil organizations, and communities operating in Pest County. It facilitates a range of partnerships at the county, regional, national, and international levels, involving various stakeholders. Some coordination efforts are carried out by the Pest County Regional Development Non-profit Ltd., an agency owned by the municipality.
Significant tasks assigned to the municipality include regional development planning, master plan creation, and territorial development strategies for Pest County/Pest Region (NUTS2 – HU12). The municipality also participates in various programming and monitoring committees such as the Territorial and Settlement Development Operational Programme Plus and INTERREG VI-A Hungary-Slovakia. Moreover, it holds memberships in particular territorial development councils, including those for the Budapest Agglomeration (metropolitan region), Danube Band, and "Homokhátság." The municipality is responsible for fostering regional economic collaborations and establishing ecosystems. It manages the Göd Special Economic Development Zone and leads the priority project "Collaboration for Employment and Economic Development in the Counties," which aims to develop the regional labor market, support entrepreneurship, and facilitate twin transition. Additionally, it holds memberships in strategic groups such as the Hungarian Industry 4.0 National Technology Platform, serves as an observer in the Hungarian Artificial Intelligence Coalition, and participates in the Budapest Airport Region development cluster.
The municipality boasts experience in stakeholder engagement, community building, and participatory design for sustainable development. It funds the Platform for Climate in Pest County and acts as a project partner in initiatives such as INTERREG Danube - DANUrB and INTERREG Danube - DANUrB+: valorisation of heritage, revival of shrinking communities, urban and rural spaces, as well as DEAR - Food Wave, a European-level campaign for sustainable and responsible food consumption. Furthermore, the Municipality organizes municipal, European Parliament, and parliamentary elections in Pest County.
Pest County encompasses Hungary's capital, Budapest, and together with the metropolitan area, it has a population exceeding 3 million. Hungary maintains one of the fastest-growing economies in the region, with its gross domestic product consistently growing at a rate close to 5% annually. The central region, including Pest County, plays a pivotal role in driving this growth. Situated at the junction of pan-European transport corridors connecting northern and western Europe to the eastern Mediterranean basin and indirectly linking with the Middle East and eastern Europe, Pest County experiences a perpetual increase in the flow of goods and passengers.
Liszt Ferenc International Airport, situated on the border of the capital and Pest County, stands out as one of Europe's most dynamically developing airports, with an annual growth rate surpassing 15%. Additionally, the county possesses a well-established infrastructure for healthcare, social services, and education, along with university research facilities. These factors provide a solid foundation for further strengthening the local economy and attracting domestic and foreign investments.
