Peter Magyar's MEPs Also Voted for Brussels Proposal to Abolish Utility Bill Cuts

In addition to war, migration and gender policy, Peter Magyar and the Tisza Party also sided with the Brussels elite on other key issues such as the attempt to abolish Hungary's utility bill cuts. In the final part of our series, we also show that Peter Magyar's support for the misguided EU sanctions poses a threat to the country's energy security, as well.

Peter Magyar, Tisza Party president and MEP and fellow Tisza Party MEP Gabriella Gerzsenyi at the plenary session of the European Parliament in Strasbourg on December 18, 2024 (Photo: MTVA/MTI/ Boglarka Bodnar)

In our series of articles published over the last few days, we have already pointed out the key areas in which Peter Magyar and the Tisza Party's subservience to the politics of the Brussels elite can be seen. We revealed in detail how and why they have become the vassal of the European People's Party (EPP) led by Manfred Weber, and we also highlighted that, contrary to Peter Magyar's previous statements, the Tisza Party slavishly supports the pro-war decisions of the Brussels elite, as well as their migration and gender policies.

Finally, let's examine the practical steps taken by the leading formation among the domestic opposition in an area that also affects our sovereignty, in terms of the economy and the energy security of citizens.

For years Hungarian families have been paying the lowest energy prices in Europe, thanks to the government's utility cost cuts. But Brussels has repeatedly called on Hungary to abolish these cuts. This battle has been ongoing, punctuated by shorter and longer breaks, practically since 2014, when the Orban government introduced a system of price caps for residential electricity and gas.

Over the last few months, the Tisza Party has repeatedly attacked these utility bill cuts. In her first speech as MEP, Gabriella Gerzsenyi called for the abolition of the cuts in the EU legislature.

"Bled out" service providers

At a meeting of the European Parliament Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) on September 23, Peter Magyar's colleague asked the Hungarian government representative how they plan to recapitalize the service providers "bled dry" by the imposed caps on utility bills. Annamaria Vicsek, MEP for Fidesz-KDNP, immediately responded to the "shocking statement" of the Tisza Party MEP. She pointed out that the Hungarian government's contribution to the well-being of families is an acknowledged good practice throughout Europe.

Tisza MEPs vote for abolishing utility bill cuts

On October 1, another MEP of the Tisza Party, Eszter Lakos, voted in support of the European Parliament Energy Committee document calling for the abolition of Hungary's price reductions on residential utility bills.

On November 14, Tisza party chief Peter Magyar and his colleagues again voted in Brussels to do away with the cost cuts.

"It is outrageous that Peter Magyar and his fellow Tisza Party members have put their names to such a proposal. Ending the cuts would increase the utility bills of hundreds of thousands of Hungarian families by an unacceptable amount. For this reason, we, the Fidesz-KDNP MEPs, firmly rejected the resolution," the governing party group said in a statement. They explained that the European Parliament's resolution adopted in connection with the COP 29 climate change conference calls for the phasing out of household energy price subsidies, such as the Hungarian caps on residential electricity costs. "The fight against climate change is a priority for Fidesz-KDNP. However, this fight must be guided by common sense, not by panic and poison-green ideology divorced from reality. Neither farmers, nor businesses, nor families should have to exclusively bear the cost of the green transition," Fidesz-KDNP stressed.

Jeopardizing Hungary's energy security

Peter Magyar and company also supported the misguided Brussels sanctions policy, which has done more harm to Europe than to Russia over the last two and a half years.

The European Parliament resolution on sanctions against Russia brought on November 14, called on EU member states to ban imports of Russian oil, gas and nuclear products. Fidesz-KDNP MEPs voted against these proposals citing that they seriously threaten the energy security of Hungarian households and businesses. But the Tisza Party politicians again failed to defend Hungarian interests this time as well.