Hungarian premier postpones 'international obligations' due to floods

By Merve Berker

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Monday postponed all his “international obligations” and canceled the speech he was expected to give at the European Parliament on Wednesday due to the ongoing floods.

“Due to the extreme weather conditions and the ongoing floods in Hungary, I have postponed all my international obligations,” Orban said on X.

The Hungarian leader was set to present the Hungarian EU Council presidency's program in Strasbourg on Wednesday.

Parts of Eastern and Central Europe are grappling with severe flooding that has claimed at least 11 lives and left tens of thousands displaced.

Extreme rainfall due to Storm Boris has lashed Romania, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, southern Germany, and parts of Austria in recent days.

In Budapest, officials raised forecasts for the Danube River to rise in the second half of this week to above 8.5 meters (27.9 feet), nearing a record 8.91m seen in 2013, according to The Guardian.

Zoltan Kovacs, the spokesperson for Orban, said on X: “Amphibious tracked vehicles are en route from Szentes to Pilismarot to support flood defense efforts.”

“The Hungarian Defence Forces are playing a key role in the flood protection efforts, deploying various equipment,” he added, quoting the country’s defense minister. “Nothing is more important than the safety of the Hungarian people.”

“According to forecasts, one of the biggest floods of the past years is approaching Budapest but we are prepared to tackle it,” The Guardian quoted Budapest’s mayor, Gergely Karacsony, as saying.