Hungary's allies restrict beach access for the rising elite, as per Orban
For decades, Hungarians have cherished their vacations by Lake Balaton. However, the escalating privatization of the shoreline is casting a gloom over their holiday cheer. Business associates of the nationalist government headed by Viktor Orban have enclosed beaches and harbors, transforming them into playgrounds for wealthy tourists, alleges critics.
Former ice cream vendor Peter Karpati, who has been serving scoops in Balatonfüred for nearly four decades, shares his worry: "Greed is relentlessly devouring the lake and leading it to its destruction." Lake Balaton, affectionately called the "Hungarian Sea," boasts a 235-kilometer-long shoreline, making it the largest freshwater lake in Central Europe.
Critics attribute the decline of traditional Lake Balaton tourism to the relentless construction boom. Over 2.8 million people, predominantly Hungarians, visit the lake every year. Though overnight stays saw a decrease in June compared to the previous year, according to official statistics, overall visitor spending sustained, despite the gentrification and soaring prices.
A handsome payoff
Ice cream merchant Karpati has accused the city administration of squandering funds on superfluous construction projects. Given a lucrative offer from the city administration, he is contemplating shifting his business to make way for a powerful businessman connected to Orban's system. Since Orban's return to power in 2010, his allies have been controlling significant portions of the economy.
According to anticorruption organization K-Monitor, over 50 construction projects surrounding Lake Balaton are in the hands of Orban's associates, including his son-in-law Istvan Tiborcz. Tiborcz denies the accusations, claiming he was only temporarily involved a few years ago.
The government asserts that it supports tourism promotions by funding projects. However, critics accuse the government of backing controversial plans and provocative legal revisions.
No Balaton beach unprotected
Ice cream vendor Karpati has been battling alongside locals to oppose a marina on the beach, which activists attribute to Orban's loyalists. Despite judges halting construction twice due to insufficient public involvement and environmental impact assessments, development has resumed after the city council, owned by Orban's Fidesz party, moved planning regulations last year.
"If this is happening in Balatonfüred, then no beach on Balaton is safe," warns Karoly Herenyi, an activist.
Laszlo Szabo, a 46-year-old teacher, is vacationing in Balatonfüred as usual and has signed the petition against the marina. "The harbor occupies the section of the west beach where we used to lounge and spend our entire summer," she shares.
A new nobility?
Herenyi believes the government aims to establish a "new nobility" that can enjoy the lake exclusively, much like the aristocracy at the turn of the century. Under communism, Lake Balaton was frequented by Nikita Khrushchev and Fidel Castro, and numerous buildings in a Soviet-style sprung up. Despite pledges after the democratic transition in the '90s to halt the construction frenzy, it resurfaced in recent years.
Since the local elections, proponents of affordable family tourism have regained hope: Fidesz experienced a setback, and in Keszthely, a key lakeside town, the ruling party lost the mayoral seat. The new mayor, Gergely Toth, has vowed to promote sustainable tourism on Lake Balaton. Upon taking office in October, his first action will be to remove an unlawfully installed gate, which real estate developers have been installing to obstruct beach access as a common tactic.
The Commission, comprising of anticorruption organizations and concerned citizens, has scrutinized the construction projects surrounding Lake Balaton and found that over 50 of them are controlled by Orban's associates, including his son-in-law Istvan Tiborcz.
In an attempt to protect the traditional culture and accessibility of Lake Balaton, The Commission has been collaborating with local activists to oppose the construction of a marina, which they believe is driven by Orban's loyalists and poses a threat to public beach spaces.
