Under the plans, a hotel, a car park for 800 cars, a large harbour for sailboats and a visitors’ centre would be built on the Hungarian side of the lake.

Under the Government Office decision now challenged, the investor can continue the investment on the core area of the national park, a Natura 2000 area, against which local residents, as well as Hungarian and Austrian organisations have protested.

The cabinet may set aside Ft 32 billion for tourism development projects planned on the Hungarian portion of Lake Fertő in a project that would fundamentally transform the southern shore.

A group of 73 NGOs issued a statement last September protesting against the plan.

They founded the Great Lakes Coalition to protect Lake Balaton, Lake Fertő, Lake Velence and the Öreg Lake in Tata, stressing that natural assets must not be sacrificed for short-term tourism or economic considerations that would serve the interests of only a few people.


MTI Photo: Csaba Jászai