Orban skips EU parliament to tackle Hungary's flood crisis

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced that he is canceling his Wednesday speech in the European Parliament, citing the need to remain in his flood-stricken country. Budapest is preparing for the peak of floods on the Danube.

Shortly after 10:00, Orban wrote on his platform X profile that he was compelled to reschedule all his "international commitments" due to extreme weather conditions and floods.

The Hungarian Prime Minister was scheduled to participate in a debate in the EU Parliament summarising the priorities of the Hungarian presidency at 09:00 on Wednesday. Orban's visit had been controversial, primarily due to his self-proclaimed "peace mission" and diplomatic visits to Moscow and Beijing.

Initially, the Greens even attempted to block the debate, arguing that they did not want to give a voice to an "autocrat" and "Putin's puppet". However, a parliamentary majority wanted to question Orban, including his meetings with Vladimir Putin.

Since Sunday, the Hungarian opposition party Tisza had called Orban to cancel the meeting. Its leader, Peter Magyar, appealed to the EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola to contact the Hungarian Prime Minister about cancelling the debate. The opposition argued that the Prime Minister should stay in the country, dealing with the weather crisis and flooding, instead of travelling to the EU.

Manfred Weber, the chairman of the European People's Party to which Tisza belongs, also wrote on X on Sunday evening that he shared the position 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," Weber wrote.

Thus, the opposition put Orban in a difficult situation: if he decided to come to Strasbourg, he would confirm allegations that he preferred to promote himself internationally rather than care for the country's well-being. Now that he has cancelled his visit, the opposition can claim it as victory.

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

The Hungarian Minister for EU Affairs, Janos Boka, will be in Strasbourg. He will not replace Orban at the Wednesday meeting but will likely have to answer the EU Parliament's questions about Hungary's laws granting residence rights to Belarusians and Russians.

The residents of the Hungarian capital are preparing for the peak of the flood. In the coming days, the river's water level on the Budapest stretch will reach the third-highest alert level.

On Sunday afternoon in Budapest, Orban appeared on the waterfront. He checked the water level of the Danube and reported that the next day, the water would rise enough to cover him, and two days later, it would be higher by another seven feet. He assessed that three sections would be critical in the fight against the massive flood: Szigetkoz, the Danube bend, and Budapest itself. He also assured that all necessary technical and financial resources are available and the entire operation is under the responsibility of the Minister of the Interior, Sandor Pinter.

The mayor of the Hungarian capital also warns of the danger. "The biggest flood of the decade is expected to arrive in the city in the second half of the week," announced Gergely Karacsony in a video shared on his social media profile.

The mayor believes that in the second half of the week, everyone must prepare for a very serious flood, which will require a series of preventive measures. He appealed to the capital's residents to exercise extreme caution during these days.

The Hungarian Minister of Agriculture, Istvan Nagy, expressed a similar sentiment in a statement on his social media profile, emphasizing that they are prepared for the upcoming challenges. He stressed that disciplined efforts and solid organization are key to an effective defence.

He also pointed out that the city of Mosonmagyarovar would be the first to face the floodwaters. Two retention reservoirs will be opened on Sunday night going into Monday to protect it from flooding.