Chilling warning in the Hungarian Parliament: 1/3rd of Hungary will be a desert, seasons changed in the country
1/3rd of Hungary can become a desert, an MP said in the Hungarian Parliament during the debate of the 2026 state budget’s water management allocations.
1/3rd of Hungary will be a desert, opposition MPs warn
According to Infostart, Ferenc Varga, a non-aligned MP, said he could not see the increased funds allocated for water retention, groundwater protection, and the promotion of water conservation in the 2026 budget bill. Rebeka Szabó, an MP of Párbeszéd (Dialogue for Hungary), warned that 1/3rd of the country is becoming a desert and, considering the current amount of money the Hungarian government spends on the issue, it would take 2-300 years to renew Hungary’s water utility network.
She added that water retention is not even included in the draft as a notion, while the country is drying out. She called the entire water “issue” tragic. Szabó said the state should spend funds on implementing professional solutions to avoid desertification. She acknowledged the importance of flood protection but stressed that desertification was a bigger problem.
Fidesz MPs believe the budget allocates enough money to combat desertification
Gábor Bányai (Fidesz) protected the bill, saying that the budget allocates HUF 54 billion for water management tasks. He said that due to climate change, there was no longer spring and winter in Hungary. There are no snow reserves in the high mountains; if floods come, they are swifter and more unpredictable than before. Instead of spring and summer, floods pose a threat in autumn, if ever.
Therefore, the budget allocates money to reinforce river embankments, new pumping stations, water reserves, and modern monitoring devices and systems. Bányai highlighted that the government would not let floods endanger lives and arable lands, and thanks to the continuous work of the last few years, floods did not cause tragedies like those in the neighbouring countries.
Bányai said the aim was no longer to get rid of floodwater but to retain as much as possible, and where the landowners allow that. János Bencsik, another MP of Fidesz, recalled that water management employees got a wage increase this year and another HUF 9.2 billion for that target in next year’s budget.
Meteorologist says seasons in Hungary have changed
Based on new research conducted by Hungary’s ELTE University, 2025 has been the second warmest year since the start of such measures. Péter Szabó, a PhD student at the university, and an author of Másfélfok, added that the spring of 2024 was the warmest ever. If we compare this spring to that, we can say it is colder, but that is an individual perception.
He added that the weakening of the polar vortex caused this year’s colder-than-usual spring weather. As a result, cold air masses can conquer southern areas. The same phenomenon happened in 2021.
Szabó said Hungary would always have a warm summer season and a colder winter season. And, in between the two, there will be the ‘battle’ between cold and warm.
The new ELTE research shows that winter has shortened significantly compared to 50 years before; meanwhile, summer and spring lengths are extended by 25-25 days. As a result, spring starts early, but lasts long due to the cold spells. Meanwhile, summer starts one week earlier and ends two weeks later, in mid-September.
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