climate change

Maximum 20% of electric buses run in Hungary compared to the plan

Big promises were made 3 years ago about turning public transportation green in Budapest. “The government is supporting and financing the purchase of three thousand electric buses in this cycle” – stated Chancellor Gergely Gulyás in the spring of 2019. There is no publicly available data on how many are actually on the roads in 2022.

The journalists of Népszava tried to uncover the truth. However, they did not receive answers to their questions from the ministry in charge. The relevant data are also missing from the database of the KSH (Hungarian Central Statistical Office).

Industry experts claim that only a small part of the plans had been carried out. Gellért Patthy, editor of the magyarbusz.info said, while there were more and more e-buses on the roads, there were barely a hundred electric buses running as scheduled.

Financial troubles

For those who are in the bus industry, these numbers are not a surprise. Gergely Gulyás’s plan to buy 3,000 electronic buses in 3 years is financially impossible for the Hungarian government. In the whole of Europe, in 2021, only 3,282 such buses were sold. Back then in 2019, Gulyás said one bus cost HUF 80 million (EUR 201,000). That would have amounted to HUF 240 billion (EUR 604 million) if the original plan came through.

BKK ticket vending machines
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Compared to that, regarding the 2020-2029 project, the government’s budget is currently HUF 36 billion (EUR 90 million). When Népszava contacted the Ministry of Technology and Industry (Technológiai és Ipari Minisztérium) on why they changed plans and what are the results so far, they only got evasive answers about the European Union’s climate goals and the green project.

Importance of green transport

The governing party’s members keep emphasising the importance of using electric buses. After handing over 12 new e-buses in Debrecen in August, the president of the Ministry of Technology and Industry highlighted that due to the country’s exposure to crude oil and natural gas, there was a great need to utilise renewable energy capacities. Since these buses are cheaper to operate, the costs pay off sooner.

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Another issue that comes with changing the public transport system is the short capacity of the batteries. Larger batteries take up too much space, and with the smaller ones, to cover the routes of 10 diesel buses, they would need 12-14 electric ones.

Nonetheless, everything else is in favour of operating electric buses in the country, says Gellért Patthy. A political decision has been made to promote electromobility in the EU, which provides almost unlimited support to green projects. This also positively affects the transport companies operating with state and local government funds: European cities are practically competing with each other to run fully electric bus fleets by the time period of 2030 and 2045.

Tram Budapest public transport
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Hungary performing well in fight against climate change, says minister

nube budapest low record

Hungary is “performing well” in its efforts to fight climate change, László Palkovics, the minister of technology and industry, told a sustainability conference on Tuesday.

Citing a recent study, Palkovics said Hungary ranked 13th out of 32 countries in terms of measures to reduce CO2 emissions. Hungary has reduced its carbon emissions by 34 percent since 1990, the minister said, adding that decarbonising the energy sector had been crucial in those endeavours.

Referring to new challenges such as droughts, rising temperatures and emerging pests, the minister said that the government had to define new tasks in agriculture, water management and health care.

Noting Hungary’s energy vulnerabilities, Palkovics said gas provided 35-40 percent of the country’s energy needs. The challenge, he added, was to reduce the proportion of gas heating in homes and public institutions. The government is working to “reduce and eventually eliminate” Hungary’s dependence on Russian gas, he said.

Strategically, the government wants to reduce gas in the country’s energy mix, increase alternative energies, as well as to increase flexibility in meeting increasing demand for electricity, Palkovics said. Hungary’s gas consumption could be significantly reduced before 2030 through comprehensive measures, he said, but warned that this required significant electrification.

Concerning the country’s commitment to net zero by 2050, Palkovics said the programme required investments totalling 16 billion euros, mostly through restructuring the electricity grid, adding that “details are being worked out”.

Read alsoResearchers: the Hungarian Great Plain may completely dry out

This was the coldest summer – climate change

thermometer temperature climate change

Yes, this summer was the coldest in our life. Climate change is a fact, we have to change our attitudes, and lifestyles and think before making choices that how much climate will be affected.

Climate protection must be our priority. Unprecedented events happened this year across the globe, you can see fluctuations in temperature, heavy storms in winter, floods, droughts, and heat waves. We have experienced the hottest days in spring, rapid melting of glaciers, droughts in Europe (which we never imagined), fires in the woods, and severe floods in many parts of the world. Climate change is the biggest problem of the 21st century. I would say, we have to take action before it gets late. Currently, Pakistan is facing a devastating flood and the country is in a state of emergency. The flood has ravaged crops, humans’ lives, and infrastructure in the developing economy. This situation has posed further threats to the crumbling economy of Pakistan. Pakistan is already in huge debt and I am afraid that Pakistan will collapse to cope with this coming crisis.

Look at developed countries, Europe has seen unusual droughts and fires in the forest due to heatwaves. The water level went down in several major rivers in Europe. The Rhine is the second largest river in Europe which flows from the Swiss Alps to the North Sea, the Rhine River is an important shipping route for many products from grains to chemicals to coal. When water levels drop, cargo vessels need to sail with reduced load, so they don’t run aground. According to International Energy Agency (IEA)’s report 2021, the warming rate augmented significantly in the last four decades, particularly in the summer, affecting the Mecsek, the central Danube region, and the eastern part of the country the most. Since 2000, the average rate of warming has been higher (0.0570°C per year) than the global average (0.0318°C per year). Hungary’s temperature change is linked to a decrease in the number of frost days and an increase in hot days. On this year July, the temperature of 41.5 °C (106.7 °F) was recorded at Kiskunfélegyháza and Hódmezővásárhely, which almost broke the all-time temperature record of 41.9 °C (107.4 °F) for Hungary. The greatest increase in the frequency of hot days has been in central and southern Hungary. The report says Hungary is at high risk for floods and at medium risk for droughts.

Due to the low supply of gas from Russia  EU, many countries are planning to return to coal-based energy which will result in high emissions of CO2 in the environment. The air will become polluted and warm. Next summer will be hotter than the current one. Again, I emphasize that it is time to change our mentality and attitudes toward climate.

In developing countries, I see a lack of education and awareness about climate change. People have no idea what is climate change and what factors accelerate the change. So, we can’t expect any actions from them to protect the climate. Even though this education is simple and logical but it does not exist in developing countries. The ground reality is different from what we think of. People have no education on how can their little actions change the climate. In Pakistan, burning the residues of crops is illegal but the farmers perform this practice repeatedly, first, there is no rule of law, and second people themselves don’t realize the consequences of their actions. Here, the responsibility comes to international players, especially those who benefitted themselves from this huge industrialization without determining the emission of CO2 and compromising on climate. But, I still appreciate Western and developed countries, sooner or later at least they comprehended and started taking action. I urge the EU, UN, and US, to allocate some funds for the awareness of climate change in developing countries (Asia, Africa, and South America).

 

About Author:

Dr. Awais Qadir is a researcher at the Technical University of Freiberg in Germany. Dr. Qadir is used to write articles and blogs on science and social issues. He has worked in several country in Europe.

Contact Information: aw*********@iw*.de

+36702436745, +4915151730177

Researchers: the Hungarian Great Plain may completely dry out

Hungary faces persistent droughts over the next few decades unless measures are taken to stop climate change, researchers of Budapest’s ELTE university said on Tuesday.

Dry areas are likely to expand, especially in central and northern parts of the Great Plain, in eastern Hungary, as well as in the north-western parts of the country, their report said. Comparing recent data to figures from the 1970s-80s, the researchers said the proportion of wetlands has shrunk from 84 percent to 68 percent.

In a worst-case scenario, the Great Plain could completely dry out,

and even more than 85 percent of the country’s territory could become a wooded steppe by the second half of the century, the report warned, adding that beech forests could completely disappear and oak could also be restricted to small areas.

In a less grim case, the dry-out may not affect the larger part of Hungary’s northern hills and areas west of the River Danube, the report said, adding that the outcome would largely depend on current water management measures.

renewable energy, investment, solar power, china
Read alsoHungary on track to fulfil 2030 climate goals

Red alert: 40°C, water shortages, forest fires come to Hungary

Heat

New heat records are expected for this weekend in Hungary. Daily temperatures can even reach 40°C in some parts of the country, with no hope for precipitation. As a result of the extreme weather, red code warning has been issued in the country. The heatwave alert is in effect from Thursday morning until Monday evening.

Red code alert

In the next few days, the daily average temperature will be 35°C in several parts of Hungary, with some places reaching 40°C on Saturday. Temperatures in many places will still be above 20°C at dawn. Due to the extreme weather conditions, „red code alert” has been introduced in the whole country, from 8 AM on Thursday until 8 PM on Monday. The purpose of the heatwave warning is to alert society to the extreme weather situation, as well as to protect and preserve life and health of those in need of assistance. During the special procedure, all social sector institutions, regardless of the type of care, the area covered and the number of places available, are obliged to receive homeless people arriving at their premises, reports the Hungarian news portal Szeretlek Magyarország.

Therefore, the Ministry of the Interior is asking everyone who encounters a homeless person in need of assistance due to the extreme weather conditions to call the regional dispatch service, where they can respond immediately to the call.

Measures for the weekend

Presumably, the record-breaking temperatures will cause massive drought, water shortages and natural fires in Hungary. As a result, several measures have been taken nationwide. During the heat wave, the Danube Regional Waterworks is calling for water conservation in several municipalities to ensure drinking water supply. At the same time, the lack of precipitation that has lasted for several weeks still goes on. In addition, the Danube water level continues to decrease and hydrological forecasts indicate that no precipitation is expected in the catchment area for the time being.

In Budapest, the institutions of the capital’s municipality help residents with drinking fountains, water distribution, intensive air conditioning of vehicles and extended opening hours of beaches.

The Ministry of Technology and Industry has decided to allow heavy goods vehicles to drive freely on inland roads on Saturday because of the heat warning. In case of an extension of the official measure, the lifting of the truck ban will automatically be extended to Sunday. Waiting in a hot cab can damage the health of professional drivers, significantly impairing their ability to concentrate after setting off. The suspension of the restriction is also justified in order to preserve the quality of the goods transported and to ensure that they reach their destination as quickly as possible, reports Szeretlek Magyarország.

The extreme weather conditions also cause several natural damages throughout Europe. As a result of record-breaking temperatures and the lack of rain, massive drought can be expected in Hungary, which is forecast to increase further by the end of the week. Ten of the twelve water management districts have already been declared under water emergency alert. Besides Mediterranean countries, forest fires may also occur in Hungary due to the high temperatures. All over the country – including the Buda Hills, the Pilis, the Visegrád Hills and the Gödöllő Hills -, fires are banned, even in designated fireplaces. In this emergency situation, the concerned areas are monitored with increased attention. Additionally, visitors are also asked to notify the authorities if they witness sign of fire in the natural areas.

Hungarian lowlands may also be affected by the fires. In the middle of the week, several hectares of the Hortobágy National Park were on fire. The fire spread so widely that road closures were necessary in the affected region. Firefighters used a great deal of effort to control the fire, reports Blikk.

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Agriculture ministry: Hungary committed to preserving ecosystems

Green Eco Nature Environment

The global framework strategy addressing biodiversity and climate change must explore the main causes of biodiversity loss and mandate that biodiversity conservation requirements be integrated into the objectives of the sectors it affects, a deputy state secretary of the agriculture ministry said in Prague on Thursday.

Addressing an informal meeting of EU environment ministers, Bertalan Balczó said that more emphasis should be given to the implementation of the strategy and its monitoring, according to a statement by the ministry.

Drought in Hungary
Read alsoDrought: government asks modifications from the European Commission

He highlighted the importance of the protection, restoration and sustainable management of ecosystems, pointing out that it contributes to water and food security, to maintaining a healthy and liveable urban environment and preventing extreme weather conditions and natural disasters.

Balczó noted that Hungary has seen an improvement in the condition and quality of over 300,000 hectares of natural area since 2004. Hungary’s draft National Biodiversity Strategy for the period up to 2030 is awaiting approval, he said, adding that it includes separate provisions on further exploring the link between climate change and the preservation of biodiversity and ways of improving the resilience of ecosystems to climate change.

Over 53,000 vehicles with green number plates registered in Hungary

greengo goes to prague

The number of environment-friendly noiseless vehicles with green number plates has tripled to over 53,000 in Hungary since 2020, the technology and industry ministry (TIM) said on Wednesday.

Fully 53 percent of those vehicles are driven by electric engines, the ministry said on Facebook. The increase is the result of the government’s programme aimed at facilitating a green transition in transport which accounts for one-fifth of the country’s carbon emissions, the statement said.

The amount of central subsidies allocated for the purchase of electric cars has totalled HUF 20 billion (EUR 49 million) over the past years, the ministry noted. The long-term goal is to achieve full climate neutrality by 2050, it said.

forint euro bills
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Fidesz MEPs welcome EP decision to uphold limited qualification of gas, nuclear energy as sustainable

European Union European Parliament eu presidency

MEPs of Hungary’s ruling Fidesz welcomed the European Parliament’s decision to uphold the European Commission’s amendment to its taxonomy regulation, ensuring that certain uses of natural gas and nuclear energy could be qualified as sustainable, secure and clean energy resources.

A proposal against the EC’s amendment proposal was rejected with 328 MEPs voting against, 278 in favour and with 33 abstentions. Unless the EP or the European Council objects the ruling, the taxonomy regulation will become binding from January 1, 2023.

The regulation states that private investments of the gas and nuclear energy sectors have a role in green transition, and so in curbing climate change. Certain activities of the sector will therefore qualify as sustainable temporarily, if the sector fulfils requirements of transparency, it said.

Commenting on the vote, the Fidesz MEPs said in a statement “we protected the security and affordability of energy supplies, and the [Hungarian] utility price cuts”. Edina Tóth, Enikő Győri and András Gyürk said investments based on gas or nuclear energy were key to green transition, so that safe and affordable energy supplies could be preserved in the long term.

Tóth said that without gas or nuclear energy, the EU would be much more vulnerable to “crises like the ones we are experiencing now. Green transition would also become impossible, because sustainable energy resources are not enough to satisfy growing demand and to keeping utility costs affordable.”

Győri said a green economy needed private capital, and aid for companies to become sustainable and climate neutral. The costs of that process could not be passed on to companies and private citizens, she said. “Had the leftist proposal been implemented, those companies would have never received funding for the transition,” she said.

Gyürk said rejecting the “leftist objection” to the regulation was “the only decision possible”.

“Europe is in an energy crisis, and we have to firmly reject all irresponsible proposals that would exacerbate the situation. With the objection, the left has attacked utility price caps and climate protection. We successfully thwarted that attempt, thanks to the Fidesz MEPs’ determination in their stance,” he said.

Lake Tisza
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Hungary on track to fulfil 2030 climate goals

renewable energy, investment, solar power, china

Hungary has already cut greenhouse gas emissions by 34 percent compared with 1990 levels, and it is well on track to fulfil the European Union’s climate goal of 55 percent by 2030, Laszló Palkovics, the minister of technology and industry, told commercial radio on Thursday.

In order to achieve that score, Hungary will shut down the lignite-operated block of the Mátrai power plant and increase solar capacity, he told Inforadio.

Hungary is expected to have 6gW solar energy capacity by next year, a goal originally slated for 2030, he said.

The current geopolitical situation raises the value of domestically produced energy, he said. Meanwhile, Hungary is planning to ensure reserve capacity for supplying energy when sunlight is scarce, he said.

“The situation we are facing today is going to push our energy system towards green solutions,” he said.

Regarding the EU agreement proposing to sell only carbon neutral new vehicles by 2035, Palkovics said the original proposal “would have spelled the end of the internal combustion engine”. The final proposal, proposed by Germany and supported by Hungary, does not ban carbon neutral internal combustion engines such as those driven with hydrogen or synthetic fuel, he said.

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Ministry: EU climate package takes Hungarian interests into account

Hungary climate change dust lake

The climate package agreed on by European Union environment ministers coincides with Hungary’s interests, ensuring that the government’s cap on energy bills can be maintained in the long run and domestic industry can stay competitive, a government official said on Wednesday.

The five-point package includes measures to achieve the 2030 climate targets, Attila Steiner, state secretary for energy and climate policy, said.

The EU will stay on track to reduce CO2 emissions by 55 percent from 1990 levels, he noted, adding that by 2020 Hungary reduced its emissions by 34 percent.

He said that, at Hungary’s initiative, the EU emissions trading scheme will be transformed by introducing automatic price protection mechanisms when quota prices get too high.

Also, the expansion of the emissions trading scheme will begin in 2027, one year later than planned, in light of the war in Ukraine, Steiner said.

Hungary’s cut of 59 billion euro fund, he said, will be above average, amounting to almost 1,000 billion forints in additional resources between 2027 and 2032. This money may be used to offset the effects of the quota trading system and to develop schemes under the energy transition, Steiner said.

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Hungary may introduce 12.5 EUR climate pass for all public transport

Hungary Budapest transport BKK parliament climate pass (1)

Opposition LMP urged the immediate rollout of a 5,000 forint (EUR 12.5) “climate pass” for all public transport in Hungary at a press conference on Saturday.

At the press conference streamed on Facebook, LMP spokesman József Gál said the public transport pass, modeled on the one in Germany, could be introduced for a trial period of three months from July.

The 100-billion-forint cost of the trial period

could be covered by raising the corporate tax rate for polluting multinationals to 25 percent, he added.

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He said “extraordinary measures” are needed to address climate change and the energy crisis, adding that greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced at the same time dependence on Russian energy is cut.

climate_change_protest_in_budapest
Read alsoBudapest residents join global Fridays for Future climate protests

Budapest residents join global Fridays for Future climate protests

climate_change_protest_in_budapest

Climate protesters in Budapest joined others in over 700 cities across the world on Friday to take part in the seventh Global Climate Strike, youth movement Fridays for Future Hungary said in a statement.

The Fridays for Future movement was launched over three years ago, rallying thousands of young people to stand up for their future, the statement said.

The Budapest protest was attended by a thousand people, with Fridays for Future putting forward its 12 climate-related demands. These include a call for the establishment of a separate ministry in charge of environmental protection, a 65 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030,

the cancellation of the upgrade of Hungary’s Paks nuclear plant,

a ban on tourism projects in national parks and “Natura 2000” protected areas and a ban on diesel cars by 2026, among others.

Fridays for Future Hungary emphasised the importance of the role of education in addressing the ecological crisis, expressing its support for the ongoing teachers’ strike.

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Hungary’s interior ministry issues drought alert – UPDATE

dryness drought

The interior ministry has issued a drought alert for the whole country starting on Monday.

According to the ministry, a lack of rain in recent weeks has now reduced humidity in the upper layers of the soil below 40 percent.

Soils have not been able to replenish due to lack of winter precipitation, and are drying out due to increasing rainfall deficits.

Significant, nationwide precipitation is still not expected, with mostly sunny, dry and warm weather forecast, increasing water scarcity and posing a serious problem for the development of the autumn crops.

Under the alert, farmers have been allowed to use surface waters for irrigation without applying for a permit and paying a fee.

Govt to spend HUF 200 bn on water system rehabilitation in S Hungary

The government will plough 200 billion forints (EUR 532.1m) into rehabilitating the water system of an arid region in southern Hungary, in the next eight years, István Láng, the head of the General Directorate of Water Management said in a talk with President János Áder.

In his Blue Planet (Kék bolygó) podcast broadcast on Monday, Áder said the development is expected to help the region retain its residents and revive wildlife, by creating marshes and lakes. Water quality will improve, as will revenues from agriculture, he said.

He noted that the UN has declared the region between the Danube and Tisza rivers a semi-desert. Dwindling water reserves are due to climate change and to forestation aimed to tie down the sand providing the soil of the region, as well as to human water usage, he said.

Láng said water supplies would be replenished from the Danube and Tisza, purifyied waste water and from ground waters.

Áder said the development, scheduled until 2030, is expected to show the first results within 4-5 years.

Opposition: govt change crucial for fighting climate change

Hungary opposition
If Hungary is to have a fighting chance of countering climate change, voters must elect a new government in the April 3 general election, politicians of the united opposition said on Wednesday.
 
Otherwise, Hungary will be left defenceless against the climate crisis, independent lawmaker Bernadett Szél told a joint press conference, adding that the Fidesz-led government in recent years had carried out over 3,000 investment projects which had ignored green considerations.
 
Hungary, she said, was
 
far too dependent on Russian gas imports,
 
while the insulation systems of buildings remained underdeveloped. A new government would insulate 150,000 flats a year and launch social, political and professional debates on the use of nuclear energy, she said, adding that the opposition saw the expansion of Hungary’s Paks nuclear power plant as a “corruption project”.
 
Fully 35 percent of Hungary’s energy mix should be sourced from renewable energy by 2030,
 
she said.
 
Erzsébet Schmuck, co-leader of LMP, accused Fidesz of gutting Hungary’s environmental protection authorities so that they could be free to “destroy” the country’s green spaces. “What we’ve been seeing over the past years is that the prime minister vetoed the EU’s stricter climate goals while misleading Hungarian society,” Schmuck said. A new government, she said, would include an independent ministry dealing with environmental protection and climate change.
 
 
Parbeszed’s Bence Tordai said
 
Hungary needed cities and districts where all key services were accessible on foot or by bicycle within 15 minutes.
 
Under a new government, public transport passes would be incorporated into Hungary’s “cafeteria” voucher system, he said, arguing that public and non-motorised transport must become a true alternative to cars. Also, special support would be given to electric and hydrogen-powered vehicles, he said, adding that rail lines would be electrified wherever possible and cycling infrastructure improved.
Rosatom-Russia Orbán
Read alsoPM Orbán: nuclear energy is cheap and climate-friendly

These parts of Hungary may get a white Christmas! – PHOTOS

The year is 2021, and climate change is getting worse every year. Because of this, it is more and more questionable whether we can look forward to snow at Christmas or not.

This year, however, we have great news for those living in certain parts of Hungary. The northern and northeastern counties can expect snowfall in the coming days. In other counties, sleet can be expected instead of snow.

On Friday, in the northern and northeastern counties, snowfall may gradually turn into sleet and then rain.

Sopron-snow
Photo: Péter Licskay

The Hungarian Public Road Nonprofit Zrt. will carry out the necessary snow clearing and de-icing work in areas affected by the snowfall during Christmas. They will do so in 12-hour shifts, from 0 to 24, and will also provide preventive de-icing where possible. However, it is always advised to get information about current road and traffic conditions before travelling. This is now especially important in the counties affected by the snowfall.

Winter-Hungary-snow-mountain
MTI/Péter Komka

Before setting off, people should check their vehicles and prepare them for the wintery weather conditions. For example, use winter tyres and make sure the winter windscreen washer fluid is full. The easiest way to catch up on the latest road information is to

use the website utinform.hu.

This site provides information on road and visibility conditions from early in the morning to late in the evening.

Esterhazy-Palace-Fertod-snow
Photo: Nóra Csécsei

The latest forecast by MTI is the following:

Budapest, December 23 – Cloudy with rain, sleet mostly in the north. Snow turning into rain in the northeast. The wind will be picking up periodically from the south.

    Lows: -6, +1 °C

    Highs: 2, 14 °C

 

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PM Orbán: nuclear energy is cheap and climate-friendly

Rosatom-Russia Orbán
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán discussed the upgrade of Hungary’s Paks nuclear power plant and the importance of nuclear energy with Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev in his office on Friday, the PM’s press chief said.
 
Parties at the talks were in agreement that the two new reactor blocks under construction in Paks guaranteed Hungary’s continued supply of cheap and climate-friendly electricity.

They agreed that at the time of Europe’s energy crisis, nuclear energy played an even more important role not just when it came to energy security, but also in ensuring price stability and the ability to preserve the government’s scheme to cap utility bills.

The talks also touched on the
 
trend of European Union countries recognising that it was impossible to reach the bloc’s climate protection goals without a long-term investment in nuclear energy alongside renewable resources.
 
The parties also reviewed the status of the Paks upgrade project, and noted their goal to have the two new blocks up and running by 2029 and 2030, respectively, in line with the strictest Hungarian and international safety standards.
 
Friday’s meeting was also attended by Péter Szijjártó, the minister of foreign affairs and trade, and János Süli, the minister without portfolio responsible for the Paks upgrade.
Rosatom-Russia Orbán
Read alsoPM Orbán: nuclear energy is cheap and climate-friendly

Jobbik MEP Gyöngyösi: Follow the traffic lights – New German govt’s impact

Germany Political Coalition

Remarks of Jobbik MEP Gyöngyösi:

The race of Germany’s political parties showed quite a few twists and turns over the months before the election. Angela Merkel’s succession proved to be too much of a challenge for the Union parties, while the Greens’ growing popularity, albeit for a brief period, appeared to be enough for them to win the election. Despite their drawn-out crisis however, the Social Democrats managed to nominate a candidate, i.e., Olaf Scholz, who was able to attract two distinct voter groups: those who wanted Merkelian continuity as well as those who preferred the necessary changes.

As far as Germany’s last year was concerned, there was only one thing we could be fairly certain of: Germany reached the end of the Merkelian era. The country’s new direction was not quite clear even after all the results came in: SPD’s victory was far from a landslide, while CDU/CSU’s defeat was far from devastating. As soon as the idea of the two big parties’ broad coalition was ruled out, the road seemed to open for a so-called traffic-light coalition, consisting of SPD, the Greens and FDP, to govern Germany.

As to how such a diverse government is going to manage Europe’s economic powerhouse, that’s still the music of the future.

read also: FM Szijjártó: EU energy policy is overly politicised, even though statements will not heat homes

On the other hand, there is some reason for optimism, since Olaf Scholz was able to subvert all pessimistic expectations and bring together a multi-party coalition agreement in record time by offering an acceptable compromise for everyone.

Compromises will likely be needed in the future, too, along with the tight control and strict discipline that characterizes the new chancellor according to the people who know him: it will be hard to coordinate the Free Democrats’ market liberalism with the Socialists’ leftist ideas and the Greens’ often radical-leaning climate policy. We can already see the potential conflicts among the coalition partners: while Social Democrats have insisted on increasing the minimum wage and taxing the super-rich, FDP’s pro-market business owner supporters will probably find these policies hard to swallow, and they are not likely to welcome the Green ideas to regulate competition on the grounds of climate policy, either.

read also: PM Orbán: the government does not serve the bureaucrats in Brussels!

However, the challenge comes with a great potential reward, especially for the traditionally small Free Democratic Party: if FDP can help to keep the coalition together, it will be able to tip the balance between two much larger left-wing forces, thus promoting the classical liberal and civic values that serve as the pillars of the party’s identity.

Furthermore, FDP can also form the counterbalance against certain radical green ideas that may be socially and economically impractical or perhaps even infeasible.

What we already know for sure is that the new German government is facing enormous challenges: it will need to ensure European stability in the middle of a crisis-ridden period, and to revitalize a community that has lost its momentum in many aspects over the past years. Germany’s administration will need to address such major issues as the post-Covid economic recession, the China and Russia relations as well as the questions concerning the nature and the process of further European integration.

It is our common interest to see the three-party coalition clear the obstacles in its way.

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President helps plant 700 trees along motorway in Hungary

Hungarian President János Áder planting trees

President János Áder on Friday attended an event organised under the auspices of the upcoming Planet Budapest 2021 Sustainability Expo and world conference, in which 700 trees were planted along the M7 motorway southwest of Budapest.

The trees are planted to counterbalance the impact of the world expo on the environment, Áder said in his address. He said that organisers of the event, starting on November 29, laid great emphasis on applying recycled materials at the venues, but it would still leave a footprint depending on the number of participants.

Planet Budapest 2021 Sustainability Expo and Summit to be held from November 30

Hungarian green party slams ‘disappointing’ COP 26 summit

Áder said that further trees would be planted, adding that the strips along motorways, a total of 20,000 hectares nationwide, could not be used for agricultural production and the goal was to use those areas for the purpose.

Pollution-environment-climate change
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