The Hungarian government has sacked the head of the national meteorological service and his deputy two days after the national day’s fireworks display was postponed due to weather fears.
Technology Minister Laszlo Balkovic, who oversees the National Meteorological Service, yesterday relieved President Cornelia Radiks and Vice President Gyula Horváth of their duties, but gave no reason.
The country’s weather service predicts thunderstorms and strong winds in the capital, Budapest, which is why fireworks on Saturday will be canceled. However, there was no storm in the capital.
Authorities issued an apology on Sunday, citing the “uncertainty factor inherent in the profession.”
The fireworks display on the banks of the Danube was classified as “the largest in Europe” in honor of the “Thousand-Year State of Hungary” on St. Stephen’s Day and was to include some 40,000 fireworks fired from 240 points along 5 kilometers of the river. river located in the center of Budapest.
The opposition called for the show to be canceled, calling it a “waste of money” at a time when the country’s economy is struggling due to the war in Ukraine.
Source: abc news