The shutdown of the Paks nuclear power plant is not an emergency — every step is being taken in accordance with the strictest safety regulations and a pre-established procedure, wrote István Kapitány, Minister of Economic Affairs and Energy, on his Facebook page, following a visit to the nuclear power plant together with Magyar Péter, after which the Prime Minister announced the plant’s complete shutdown on Thursday.

The minister explained that, in addition to government measures, the solidarity of the entire Hungarian population is needed. Those who are able to do so should schedule high-energy-consumption activities — particularly the charging of electric vehicles and the use of air conditioners — outside the evening peak period, that is, outside the 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. slot.

“We also need to speak frankly about how we got here, because from a professional standpoint, this is the most outrageous part,” he said, referring to the fact that the declining water level of the Danube had been a known problem for years.

According to the minister, this shutdown — and the electricity imports now incurring additional costs of tens of billions of forints — could have been avoided with a ten-billion-forint investment in the construction of a new pumping station at Paks.

“The previous government did not build it, while MVM, on political instruction, spent hundreds of billions on advertisements, sponsorships, and sports clubs,” wrote István Kapitány, adding that this too will be investigated.

“What lies ahead demands discipline, precise planning, and cooperation from all of us. Over the past decades, I have learned that calm, methodical work will carry us through even the greatest challenges. And the Hungarian people always come together in difficult times. This time will be no different,” the minister said.

Artificial intelligence was used for the translation of parts of the original Hungarian text.