Orbán cancels EU speech to tackle Danube flood crisis in Hungary

The Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, 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, Orbán wrote on his profile on platform X that he was forced to postpone all his "international commitments due to extreme weather conditions and floods."

The Hungarian Prime Minister was supposed to participate in a debate summarizing the priorities of the Hungarian EU presidency in the European Parliament at 3 AM Eastern Time on Wednesday. Orbán's visit has been controversial, 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 did not want to give the floor to an "autocrat" and "Putin's puppet." However, the parliamentary majority decided they wanted to question Orbán, among other things, about his meetings with Vladimir Putin.

Since Sunday, the Hungarian opposition party Tisza has urged Orbán 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 traveling 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 Orbán 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 Orbán in a difficult situation. If he decided to come to Strasbourg, he would confirm allegations that he prefers promoting himself internationally rather than caring for his country’s well-being. Now that he has canceled his visit, the opposition can tout this as their success.

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

Hungarian Minister for EU Affairs János Bóka will be present in Strasbourg. He will not replace Orbán at Wednesday’s meeting. Still, 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, Orbán appeared on the pier. He checked the water level in the Danube and informed me that the next day, the water would rise so much that it would cover it easily, and in two days, its level would be higher by another 6 feet. He assessed that the critical sections for fighting the high water would be Szigetköz, the bend of the Danube, and Budapest itself. He also assured that all necessary technical and financial resources are available and Interior Minister Sándor Pintér oversees the entire action.

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

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

The Hungarian Minister of Agriculture, Istvan Nagy, expressed a similar sentiment 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 defense.

He also pointed out that the city of Mosonmagyaróvár 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.