Water and energy crisis: even one of Orbán’s former strongmen admits their failure

For years, the distribution of rainfall across the Carpathian Basin has become ever more extreme. Experts have long warned that there is no sign of any reversal in the trend, and that the climate crisis will only deepen the drying-out of the region. Yet the previous government did nothing to address the problem. That is now being acknowledged not by just anyone, but by one of Orbán’s most powerful former ministers — in total contradiction of the communication line now being pushed by Fidesz, which has gone into opposition. In part, then, he has admitted that the previous government, in which he served as minister for construction and transport, bears responsibility for today’s water and energy crisis by failing to act.

Warnings over water and energy crisis for years

Researchers warned years ago that the intensity and frequency of extreme rainfall events were increasing. In other words, the total amount of precipitation does not necessarily fall, but its distribution can become drastically more uneven, creating major challenges across everything from Hungarian agriculture to many aspects of everyday life.

The Carpathian Basin has, roughly since the 19th century, been re-engineered through drainage and other measures to get rid of incoming water as quickly as possible, so that the once widespread areas of inland flooding could disappear and be replaced by land suitable for arable farming. But as rainfall becomes ever more erratic, life-giving water now leaves the basin too quickly, leaving behind dry, increasingly desert-like terrain. We wrote separately last year about a future Hungarian desert that could affect the lives of several hundred thousand people.

Blunt words from a former minister

The previous Orbán governments could have done far more to improve the situation, and perhaps Hungary would not now — in the midst of this year’s second heat dome and a prolonged, historic drought — be on the brink of yet another energy crisis. Opposition MPs, as well as government-aligned Tisza politicians and ministers, have repeatedly condemned previous governments over this, but Telex has found the parliamentary record in which even one of the fifth Orbán government’s most powerful men, János Lázár, acknowledged grave failures and shortcomings. In December last year, before the Committee on Sustainable Development, he said things such as:

• “The government made a mistake when it did not build large reservoirs ten years ago.”
• “You are absolutely right in saying that it is madness for us to let out far more fresh water than comes into the country. It is an unsustainable situation.”
• “Let me share with you a government secret: this is discussed extremely often within government circles. […] Today, 200 millimetres of water are missing from the land on the Great Plain.”
• “Your figures are entirely correct. Water shortage means a brutal reality, and I can only say that there is no real decision on what we actually want.”

Lázár János won a seat at the April election as well, but despite being one of the faces of the Fidesz campaign, he is among the least frequent attendees in the Hungarian parliament, and his political communication has been effectively non-existent since the Orbán government’s defeat.

Good news from PM Péter Magyar: Paks NPP may operate longer than thought

Hungary faces water and energy crisis

The Paks Nuclear Power Plant is expected to shut down completely today because there is not enough water in the Danube. No barrage is operating on Hungary’s stretch of the river, so there is no reserve from which to draw; the only water available is what flows through the country. At present, that is far too little. Water level yesterday afternoon stood at minus 133 centimetres, a historic low.

Forecasts suggest that the heat dome will remain in place for at least another four to five days, and there is no immediate end in sight to the historic drought either, so the level will continue to fall. Within days or weeks, for example, the popular Lake Velence — the familiar, continuous sheet of water used for festivals, sport and tourism — may cease to exist as we know it.

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