Magyar announces new measures as heatwave subsides in Hungary

Starting Friday, there is no need for voluntary cutbacks in energy consumption by companies, local governments, and the general public in Hungary any longer. The extraordinary work-from-home policy in the public sector will be lifted, decorative lighting on buildings will be turned back on, and freight trains will again be allowed to run between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m.—these were among the measures announced by Péter Magyar on Friday.

According to the Hungarian Prime Minister, the Defence Task Force was able to make these decisions because, starting Saturday, the heat alert will be lowered from a level three to a level two, and the slight drop in temperature will also help reduce the strain on the country's energy grid. In addition, the Danube's catchment area has received enough rainfall to temporarily increase the river’s water level by 20–30 centimeters over the next few days, which will guarantee the safe operation of the Paks Nuclear Power Plant.

Notwithstanding this, Magyar believes it is worth keeping up the attitude demonstrated in recent days, if for no other reason than because starting next week, we’ll be “counting the centimeters again” at Paks.

The Prime Minister described Hungarians' recent collective effort as unprecedented, and said that initial surveys indicate that nearly every family participated in the conservation efforts. He thanked everyone who contributed in any way to resolving the crisis over the past week.