Hungary braces for historic flood while Orban cancels EU speech

The Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban, announced that he is canceling his Wednesday speech in the European Parliament, citing the need to stay in a country gripped by floods. Budapest is preparing for the crest of the floodwave on the Danube River.

Shortly after 5 AM Eastern Time, Orban wrote on his profile on platform X that due to extreme weather conditions and floods, he is forced to postpone all his "international commitments."

The Hungarian Prime Minister was supposed to take part in a debate summarizing the priorities of the Hungarian EU presidency in the European Parliament at 3 AM Eastern Time on Wednesday. Orban's visit has been controversial from the start, mainly due to his self-declared “peace mission” and diplomatic visits to Moscow and Beijing.

Initially, the Greens even tried to block the debate, arguing that they do not want to give the floor to an "autocrat" and "Putin's puppet." However, the parliamentary majority decided that they want to question Orban, among other things, about his meetings with Vladimir Putin.

Since Sunday, the Hungarian opposition party Tisza has been urging Orban to cancel the meeting. Its leader, Peter Magyar, appealed to the European Parliament President Roberta Metsola to contact the Hungarian Prime Minister regarding the debate cancellation. The opposition argued that the Prime Minister should stay in the country dealing with the weather crisis and floods instead of travelling to the EU.

The chairman of the European People's Party, of which Tisza is a member, Manfred Weber, also wrote on X on Sunday evening that he shares the stance of his Hungarian colleagues who gave Prime Minister Orban the "opportunity" to postpone Wednesday's debate in Strasbourg. "In times of crisis, like the current flood situation, we must focus on helping those in need" — wrote Weber.

Thus, the opposition put Orban in a difficult situation: if he decided to come to Strasbourg, he would confirm allegations that he prefers promoting himself on the international stage rather than caring for his country’s well-being. Now that he has cancelled his visit, the opposition can tout this as their success.

Orban was supposed to arrive in Strasbourg on Tuesday and even planned to organize a press conference that day at the European Parliament. Peter Magyar, the opposition leader, had also announced his presence and a meeting with the media on Tuesday, but he too cancelled his visit. It would have been the first time both politicians met during public appearances since Magyar left Orban’s Fidesz for the opposition.

Hungarian Minister for EU Affairs Janos Boka will be present in Strasbourg. He will not replace Orban at Wednesday’s meeting, but he will likely have to answer the European Parliament's questions regarding the laws adopted by Hungary granting residency to Belarusians and Russians.

Residents of the Hungarian capital are preparing for the crest of the floodwave. In the coming days, the water level on the Budapest section of the river will reach the third – highest – alarm level.

On Sunday afternoon in Budapest, Orban appeared on the wharf. He personally checked the water level in the Danube and informed that the next day, the water would rise so much that it would easily cover it, and in two days, its level would be higher by another two metres. He assessed that the critical sections for fighting the high water would be Szigetkoz, the bend of the Danube, and Budapest itself. He also assured that all necessary technical and financial resources are available, and the entire action is being overseen by the Interior Minister Sandor Pinter.

The Mayor of the Hungarian capital also warns of the threat. – The largest flood of the decade is approaching Budapest — announced Gergely Karacsony in a video shared on his social media profile.

According to the Mayor, in the second half of the week, we need to be prepared for a very serious flood that will require a range of preventive measures. He appealed to the residents of the capital to exercise particular caution during these days.

Hungary's Agriculture Minister Istvan Nagy speaks in a similar tone. In a statement published on his social media profile, he stated: The wave is coming, but we are ready! The condition for effective defence is disciplined work and good organisation!

He also pointed out that the city of Mosonmagyarovar would be the first to face the element. To protect it from flooding, two retention basins will be opened on the night of Sunday to Monday.