Two senior officials have been fired after an inaccurate weather forecast forced the cancellation of a major fireworks display in Hungary.
The head and deputy head of the National Weather Service lost their jobs after storm forecasts failed to materialize on the evening of the country’s most important national holiday.
Both dismissals drew accusations of political interference from Hungary’s right-wing government.
The annual St. Stephen’s Day fireworks show along the Danube River in the capital Budapest is considered the largest show in Europe.
But on Saturday afternoon they were called off due to forecasts suggesting extreme weather was likely around 9pm kick-off.
It meant the show – which normally attracts around a million revelers – was rescheduled for safety reasons.
Tonight, however, the bad weather failed to come.
The dismissal was announced in a brief statement by Technology and Industry Minister Laszlo Palkovic on behalf of Viktor Orbán’s government.
The head of the weather service, Kornelia Radić, has held her post since 2013, three years longer than her deputy, Gyula Horvath.
Palkovic did not give a reason for the layoffs, but they came after the weather service was criticized in media linked to the Hungarian government.
Reports accused the service of unnecessarily delaying the event thanks to its “seriously wrong” forecast.
Critics of Orbán’s government, which has been accused of corruption, nepotism and anti-democratic tendencies, said the firings were politically motivated and reminiscent of Hungary’s communist past.
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In a statement, the weather service asked for the reinstatement of its fired executives.
He described being subjected to “political pressure” regarding his assessments of the holiday’s weather patterns and that those exerting the pressure “ignore the scientifically accepted uncertainty inherent in weather forecasts”.
The office wrote: “It is our firm opinion that, despite significant pressure from decision makers, our colleagues … provided the best of their knowledge and are not responsible for any alleged or actual damages.”
Independent politician Akos Hadhazi added that the weather service had “never before had this kind of responsibility”.
He wrote on Facebook: “They can choose to remain silent or choose to strike until the boss who was fired communist style is reinstated.
“Their decision could change the fate of the whole country.”
The planned St. Stephen’s Day exhibition, held every August 20, was to present a life story from “the birth of Christian Hungary to the present day, focusing on the lessons of national values,” according to the event’s website.
It was billed as “a chart of the great periods and significant moments of Hungarian history, highlighting important national values that can also provide a moral lesson for everyday life.”
The display is a popular annual event, but some object to its scale and cost.
A petition against holding the exhibition in the country of 10 million has gathered nearly 200,000 signatures – arguing that the money should be used to help Hungary’s ailing economy.
“In a country where the currency is weakening every day while prices are rising, there is no place for such a lavish spectacle,” the petition said.
In 2006, severe storms with wind gusts of up to 60 miles per hour hit Budapest as an estimated 1.5 million people had gathered to see that year’s exhibition.
Five people died and over 300 were injured in the ensuing panic.
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