Over Józsefváros, Budapest’s 8th District (Hungary)
In Józsefváros, Budapest’s 8th district, solidarity and development are treated as symbiotic goals. With 70,000 residents, the capital’s largest Roma community and a growing international population, the district has built its inclusion policy around a simple premise: diversity is an asset to be governed with, not a problem to be managed.
That ambition translates into targeted measures across daily life. Roma children are growing up in kindergartens that have reduced segregation. Roma young people and persons with disabilities access municipal jobs through internship and recruitment pathways. Migrant children attend district-funded Hungarian language courses. Families in municipally owned housing can benefit from a pilot accessibility scheme. And the Józsefváros Youth Council, relaunched in 2025, meets regularly and shapes public consultations, connecting young people with decision-makers.
This is supported by a coherent institutional framework. The Equal Opportunities Office, established in 2025, employs dedicated officers across key inclusion areas - working alongside a Community Participation Office that supports over 50 civil society organisations.
Finalist video