GENERAL OVERHAUL BEFORE STORM AT PAKS

The Prime Minister’s confidants and old supporters fight for the general director’s seat.

There is an increasing uncertainty in the circle of leaders of Paks nuclear power station because of the coming change of management while the experts have begun the preparations for restarting second time Block II beside the cistern causing a serious breakdown.The second block of the power station undergoes a three-month-long general overhaul while there is a change expected on the post of the general director until January as latest. István Kocsis, the present general director probably becomes the head of the Hungarian Electricity Works (MVM). The general assembly of MVM will decide about this on December 23. The general director of the nuclear plant may be József Szabó MP (Socialist Party) but József Kovács, operational manager and László Varga-Sabján, manager of human policy have also good chances to attain the post. József Szabó had been general director at Paks during the Horn government and that was the time when Premier Gyurcsány’s Altus Holding received HUF 80 million for public relations. Mr Szabó later founded a firm which became the representative of the Russian TVEL dealing with selling nuclear fuel cells. TVEL Company has been commissioned to repair the serious breakdown at Paks. Tamás Koltai MP (Fidesz) said the government played Russian roulette with the attempt to restart the block because there are 3,6 tons of destabilized fissile material next to the reactor.

Translated by Péter Szentmihályi Szabó