Water Governance after Remunicipalisation

Centralisation and Public Control in Hungary

Absztrakt

This article examines the transformation of Hungary’s water governance from the early 1990s to the present, tracing a rare trajectory from remunicipalisation to centralisation. While many European countries have re-established local public ownership after failed privatisation, Hungary’s case demonstrates how municipal control functioned only as an intermediate step toward full state ownership. The analysis situates Hungary within the broader European debate on public services, revealing how shifting political regimes and economic ideologies have shaped legal and institutional frameworks. The study explores how the Water Utility Act of 2011 initiated a process of consolidation under state authority, culminating in the establishment of the National Water Works in 2021. This development represents not merely administrative reform but a structural reconfiguration of public ownership and accountability. Hungary’s experience shows how the state regained control over a sector that had been decentralised and partially privatised, shifting the focus from ownership toward the governance mechanisms through which efficiency, equity, and democratic oversight are negotiated in essential services.