Karácsony, mayor of district 14, which includes the popular park, argued that the new museums should instead be built in one of Budapest’s brown zones and said that “making construction work in a park is a mad idea”.

Speaking on public news channel M1, Karácsony said he would consult residents concerning options around ongoing constructions, but insisted that erecting “gigantic structures for any function” in City Park would be a “disaster”.

He argued that re-creating the 200 year old park would be impossible, while “destroying it would be easy through for example increased traffic generated by the planned buildings and museums”.

MTI Photo: Bruzák Noémi