Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Jun 05, 2025

Hungary closing public facilities due to soaring cost of energy

Dozens of cities are closing venues across Hungary due to soaring energy costs. The most common public facilities affected are theaters, spas, pools, libraries, museums and sports venues.
Szeged, a city of 160,000 people, is one such city having to tighten its belt. The deputy mayor says their gas bill has increased sevenfold and the government does nothing to help.

“The Hungarian state has created a dysfunctional system in the municipal sector from Jan. 1 (when the price change kicks in for many). There are municipalities that have been partially dysfunctional since September, trying to perform at least the mandatory public tasks, but with reduced public transport or closed facilities,” explained the city’s deputy mayor, Tamás Kovács.

The situation is the same across the country with municipal authorities facing five to ten-fold hikes in energy prices.

Next to Szeged, the authorities in Makó managed to keep the thermal spa open but only because it’s vital for the city’s tourism.

“One of our biggest power consumers is the sauna,” said Noémi Lajtosné Papp, head of the spa division. “Therefore, rather than operate all nine at the same time, we do it in rotation.”

But the museum and the sports hall are closed, forcing local residents to accept the new reality.

“We are facing a very bad situation,” said one woman, “so everything has to be tightened, both for the individual and for the town. We’re still behind the rules until they get worse, and then we’ll see what happens.”

So far the capital Budapest is managing to keep its public facilities open, but the private sector is also struggling heavily.

Last week the country’s largest hotel, the 499-room Hotel Hungária, announced it would have to close and not reopen until early March.

Based on preliminary booking figures, management judged it was uneconomical to keep it open under the present circumstances.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Global News Roundup: From Ukraine's strategic military strikes and Russia's demands and Tensions Escalate in Ukraine, to serious legal issues faced by Britons in Bali and Trump's media criticism, the latest developments highlight a turbulent landscape
Majority of French Voters View Macron's Presidency as a Failure
Hungary Partners with China to Boost Electric Vehicle Production
‘Vibe Coding’ Emerges as the New DIY Trend
AI Pioneer Yoshua Bengio Warns Models Can Deceive Users
Big Four Firms Rush to Create AI Auditing Systems
Musk’s xAI Pursues $113 Billion Valuation in New Share Sale
Walmart Increases Revenue Despite Shrinking Workforce
Hims & Hers Plans UK and EU Launch of Replica Obesity Drugs
Toyota to Acquire Supplier in $33 Billion Buyout
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
China Accuses US of Violating Trade Truce
Panama Port Owner Balances US-China Pressures
France Implements Nationwide Outdoor Smoking Ban to Protect Children
German Chancellor Merz Keeps Putin Guessing on Missile Strategy
Mandelson Criticizes UK's 'Fetish' for Abandoning EU Regulations
British Fishing Boat Owner Fined €30,000 by French Authorities
Dutch government falls as far-right leader Wilders quits coalition
Harvard Urges US to Unfreeze Funds for Public Health Research
Businessman Mauled by Lion at Luxury Namibian Lodge
Researchers Consider New Destinations Beyond the U.S.
53-Year-Old Doctor Claims Biological Age of 23
Trump Struggles to Secure Trade Deals With China and Europe
Russia to Return 6,000 Corpses Under Ukraine Prisoner Swap Deal
Microsoft Lays Off Hundreds More Amid Restructuring
Harvey Weinstein’s Publicist Embraces Notoriety
Macron and Meloni Seek Unity Despite Tensions
Trump Administration Accused of Obstructing Deportation Cases
Newark Mayor Sues Over Arrest at Immigration Facility
Center-Left Candidate Projected to Win South Korean Presidency
Trump’s Tariffs Predicted to Stall Global Economic Growth
South Korea’s President-Elect Expected to Take Softer Line on Trump and North Korea
Trump’s China Strategy Remains a Geopolitical Puzzle
Ukraine Executes Long-Range Drone Strikes on Russian Airbases
Conservative Karol Nawrocki wins Poland’s presidential election
Study Identifies Potential Radicalization Risk Among Over One Million Muslims in Germany
Good news: Annalena Baerbock Elected President of the UN General Assembly
Apple Appeals EU Law Over User Data Sharing Requirements
South Africa: "First Black Bank" Collapses after Being Looted by Owners
Poland will now withdraw from the EU migration pact after pro-Trump nationalist wins Election
"That's Disgusting, Don’t Say It Again": The Trump Joke That Made the President Boil
Trump Cancels NASA Nominee Over Democratic Donations
Paris Saint-Germain's Greatest Triumph Is Football’s Lowest Point
OnlyFans for Sale: From Lockdown Lifeline to Eight-Billion-Dollar Empire
Mayor’s Security Officer Implicated | Shocking New Details Emerge in NYC Kidnapping Case
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
×