The president of the National Meteorological Service (OMSZ) and the professional deputy president of the organization are leaving their posts with immediate effect, the Ministry of Technology and Industry informed our editors.
On August 22, Minister of Technology and Industry László Palkovics, exercising the right to manage the organization, dismissed Kornélia Radics and Gyula Horváth. The identity of the new leaders will be decided later.
There is no justification in the announcement, but the background of the case is not difficult to deduce. As we reported, the government press had previously declared the meteorologists “guilty” for the failure of the fireworks on August 20, saying that the forecast of the National Meteorological Service (OMSZ) was wrong, on the basis of which the Operative Tribe decided to postpone the fireworks on August 20.
The OMSZ immediately indicated that meteorology is just that, the uncertainty factor is unfortunately inherent in the profession – however, it seems that the government does not accept this, and rather they terminated the organization with immediate effect.
Dr. Kornélia Radics has led the OMSZ since 2013. According to his biography published at the time of his appointment, he has serious professional work behind him, and he has been awarded numerous awards. The Hungarian Meteorological Society awarded him the Alfréd Hille Award in 1996 and the Róna Zsigmond Youth Award in 2005. He received the Pro Scientia Gold Medal of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 1997, and then won the János Bolyai Research Scholarship of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences for the period between 2005 and 2011.
In 2005, he received a Memorial Plaque from the Chief of the Army General Staff of the Ministry of Defense, in 2007 he received the bronze grade of the Service Medal, and in 2011 he received the Officer Service Medal III. degree, in 2012 he received the silver degree of the Service Medal.
In recognition of his professional work, in 2013 the Minister of Rural Development presented him with a Pro Meteorologia Commemorative Plaque.
