Hungary Demands Immediate Action from Brussels to Avert Danger

The war in the Middle East poses serious risks for Europe as a whole, yet Brussels still refuses to see the failure of its energy policy, Hungary's prime minister said. Hungary will not let Brussels make Hungarians pay for the consequences again, PM Orban stated.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban (Source: Facebook/Viktor Orban)

"It's Sunday yet busy working over the weekend," Viktor Orban began his post, referring to the far-reaching effects of the war that broke out Friday between Iran and Israel.  The risks to energy supply and the price explosion have reached Hungary, so his day was filled with economic consultations, he said.

An energy crisis is looming, says Viktor Orban (Source: Facebook/Viktor Orban)

PM Orban: An Energy Crisis Is Looming

Viktor Orban emphasized:

The effects of the Iran-Israel war that broke out early Friday morning are reaching Hungary.

The Persian Gulf region plays a key role in the global energy system, meaning that any armed conflict there has an immediate effect on prices and supply routes.

If the war spreads, energy supply routes will be threatened and prices will skyrocket,

Viktor Orban warned, adding that

in recent days, the price of crude oil has already risen by ten percent and natural gas by six percent on world markets. 

Energy-poor but energy-intensive economies like the European Union—and Hungary within it—are particularly affected by such crises, he said. 

Brussels Would Abolish Hungary's Veto Right

Viktor Orban sharply criticized the EU’s sanctions policy:

It is now clear how short-sighted Brussels’ policy of sanctioning the Russian energy sector has been in recent years.

This has already caused serious problems, factory shutdowns and inflation across Europe, he recalled. If Middle Eastern energy sources also dry up, "the European economy will be brought to its knees," PM Orban said, pointing out that "nonetheless, Brussels is not stepping back, but in fact, it wants to further tighten energy sanctions:

Bypassing the veto rights of member states, Brussels now wants to completely ban Russian energy sources from the EU, 

Viktor Orban emphasized, noting that  this would not only violate the spirit of EU treaties but would also amount to "sweeping aside Hungary’s rights." Brussels bureaucrats are set to submit a proposal on this very issue for a decision tomorrow, he added. 

Hungary Takes Action, Seeks to Remove Plan from Agenda

Hungary's prime minister stated that

we will not let Brussels make us pay for another one of their stupid ideas.

Hungary will therefore

officially request tomorrow that, in view of this new situation, Brussels remove from its agenda the proposal for the permanent phase-out of Russian energy sources.

In addition, Viktor Orban is calling for an immediate impact assessment on the consequences of the war in the Middle East and proposals for Europe-wide solutions to tackle the crisis.

Cover photo: Prime Minister Viktor Orban (Source: Facebook/Viktor Orban)