According to a statement from Hungary's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Szijjarto, speaking ahead of a town hall gathering, said a major battle is expected at the meeting in Luxembourg, as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are set to propose a jointly developed plan aiming to ban the import of Russian crude oil and natural gas for EU member states.
“This would put the energy security of several countries – including Hungary – in a highly risky situation. For Hungary, this would mean that utility costs for Hungarian individuals and families would double or even triple,” he explained.
Brussels wants to support Ukraine at the expense of Hungarian citizens, making them pay for the continuation of the war through drastically increased utility bills.
Szijjarto stated.
He called the plan unacceptable not only because of the exorbitant rise in costs, but also because it would represent a shocking and severe violation of Hungary’s sovereignty.
“It is the sovereign right of every country to decide from whom it buys energy resources. No one else has the right to interfere. And now they want to severely violate this sovereign right of Hungary – and of all other countries as well,” he warned.
He also reported that he had spoken with his Slovak counterpart earlier in the day, and they agreed to continue jointly opposing these proposed measures.
“I will personally attend Monday’s energy council meeting. Slovakia will be represented by its Minister of Economy, and together we will stand against Von der Leyen and Zelensky’s attempt to violate Hungary’s sovereignty and force Hungarian families to pay two to three times more for energy,” he summarized.
When asked about the European Commission’s new country-specific recommendations for Hungary, Szijjarto remarked that if there were a competition between Brussels and the Tisza Party over who could do more harm to Hungary and the Hungarian people, the result would be a tie.
Brussels has repeatedly tried to force us to abandon policies that ease the burden on Hungarian families. The Tisza Party’s experts say the same things – they want to revoke or eliminate utility cost reduction measures, the 13th month bonus pension and pension increases,
he said.
“The bottom line is this: both the European Commission and the Tisza Party’s experts in Hungary want to increase utility bills and reduce pensions. Every single country report reflects this,” he emphasized.
I want to reassure the Hungarian people: we are committed to the results of utility cost reductions and the 13th month pension. No matter what the European Commission says, no matter what the Tisza Party says, and no matter what the Ukrainians say,
he added.
Cover photo: Hungary's Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Peter Szijjarto (Source: Facebook)
