Hungary's Interim President Calls Meeting on Extreme Heat Measures

Hungary's interim president, Ágnes Forsthofferová, has convened a meeting with parliamentary leaders and Prime Minister Péter Magyar to address the nation's response to impending extreme heat. The gathering, scheduled for Monday at the presidential palace, aims to provide a direct briefing on the government's strategies for managing the crisis. Forsthofferová emphasized the necessity for faction leaders to receive firsthand information and pose questions directly to the prime minister.

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As the Speaker of the National Assembly, who is temporarily performing the duties and powers of the head of state, I have asked the prime minister for a personal briefing tomorrow on the situation caused by extreme heat and how the government is managing it.

This meeting occurs as Prime Minister Magyar announced the shutdown of another unit at the Paks nuclear power plant, leaving only one unit operational at half capacity. He anticipates a complete shutdown of Paks on Monday, warning of five critical days ahead with potential energy supply limitations coinciding with the severe heatwave. The situation highlights the strain on Hungary's energy infrastructure during peak demand and extreme weather.

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it is necessary for the leaders of the parliamentary factions to be able to obtain information firsthand and ask questions directly to Prime Minister Magyar.

In parallel, Forsthofferová appealed to the public via Facebook, urging responsible, disciplined, and considerate behavior during this challenging period. She suggested that citizens could significantly help by postponing activities such as car washing and vacuuming, reducing air conditioning use, and avoiding clothes dryers. These calls for conservation reflect the government's efforts to mitigate the impact of the heatwave and potential energy shortages.

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we are entering five critical days with limited energy supply capacities and extreme heat.