It has a good chance of becoming a new symbol of the country. But what facts lie behind it?
Recently, this roundabout has been appearing in many Hungarian media outlets and on social media platforms. It was built in the middle of nowhere, with no connection to any roads. The project cost 500 million HUF and was financed by the EU.
There is a good chance that this bizarre structure will become an international media sensation, symbolising the dysfunction and corruption of the Hungarian state.
While it can be interpreted in this way, the facts provide a kind of explanation.
You should know that the original story was reported by the investigative website Átlátszó, which revealed the details.
The story is as follows:
The roundabout is near Zalaegerszeg, a town in western Hungary.In 2021, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó announced that the German transport company Metrans would build a container terminal and logistics centre in Zalaegerszeg at a cost of 15.7 billion HUF (€39 million). The Hungarian government co-financed the investment with 3.9 billion HUF.
It is said that the huge terminal will be of national and, what is more, European importance.
This is why the municipality of Zalaegerszeg supported the German investment and built the roundabout with the help of EU funding.
But why is it in the middle of nowhere?
The roundabout connects to the future logistics centre, but Metrans has not yet started construction.
They say they cannot do anything until the transport company GYESEV builds the railway connection to the site.
This will happen one day as it is part of a larger EU project, which is proceeding much more slowly than expected.
It seems that the ‘in-the-middle-of-nowhere roundabout’ will remain as it is until at least the end of 2027.
A.J.
