Nem épül meg a nagymarosi vízlépcső, elvi megállapodást köthet Magyarország Szlovákiával

Key update

Hungary’s Minister of Energy says the long-disputed Nagymaros dam project will not be built, and that Hungary and Slovakia may soon reach an agreement to end the decades-long legal conflict over the Danube.

Background of the dispute (timeline)

The discussion retraces the dispute’s history:

• 1977: Hungary and Slovakia signed an agreement to build the Bős–Nagymaros dam system.
• 1980s–1989: Construction proceeded, but political changes and public resistance grew. The contract was terminated in 1989, leading to the dam not being completed (described as a “symbol of regime change” and social self-determination).
• 1992: Slovakia diverted the Danube, particularly affecting water flows toward the Hungarian side.
• 1995: A water-management agreement was reached, allowing the Szigetköz and Danube tributary system to be considered ecologically sustainable.
• 1997 (International Court of Justice, The Hague): The ruling is summarized as: both sides were “right” in the broader sense, but they must negotiate. The court also found that Hungary violated the treaty by not building the dam.

Why negotiations are seen as promising

According to the guest, negotiations have an “encouraging turn” because the Slovak Bős hydropower plant is expected to keep operating for the next 30 years, and Slovakia has already taken steps to extend it.

The expectation is that the next 30-year period will require a stable settlement.

The proposed “four points” of the draft agreement

1. Zero point / core decision: No dam will be built in Nagymaros, preserving the symbolic political outcome of the regime change and addressing the longstanding public-law question raised by the Hague ruling.

2. Water governance changes: Further develop the 1995 arrangement to better protect Szigetköz, especially during low-water and drought periods. The draft also mentions increasing water releases from Slovakia and, in return, increasing received water to Hungary.

3. Energy benefit for Hungary: Hungary would receive one-third of Bős hydropower at a favorable price, framed as meaningful for Hungarian electricity supply and cost reduction. The discussion notes that, over the past 30 years, no electricity from Bős has served Hungarian interests.

4. Energy-policy cooperation + timeline: Hungary aims to secure long-term, energy-type agreements with Slovakia, justified by Hungary’s weaker geographic energy conditions (no mountains, serious gas fields, or sea). Timing-wise, the goal is to agree “in principle” in summer, then amend the contract through a process requiring parliamentary ratification in both countries.

Expected outcome

If both parliaments ratify the agreement, the guests argue it will:

• End the decades-long legal dispute
• Bring compliance with the Hague Court judgment

Overall, the message is to “open a new chapter”: maintain the political/symbolic result (no Nagymaros dam) while gaining practical advantages in water management and energy relative to the current situation.

Presenters or contributors

• Cep Gábor (government responsible for the area)
• Pont (government responsible for the area; name unclear in subtitles)
• Tita (host/presenter; name unclear in subtitles)
• The Minister of Energy (referenced; not named in the subtitles)