PM Orbán talks about ‘intolerable’ pump prices, promises measures

The government must prevent diesel and petrol prices from rising to “intolerable” levels, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in a video message on Facebook on Monday.

Orbán noted that crude prices in Hungary had started to surge because of Ukraine’s oil blockade and the conflict in the Middle East. He added that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s decision to block deliveries of Russian crude bound for refineries in Hungary and Slovakia posed a threat not only to those two countries but to the entire European Union.

To mitigate risk, Orbán said all of Europe needs to revisit its sanctions policies and lift the ban on Russian energy, adding that he pressed for the measure in a letter sent to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday.

“At home, we have to prevent petrol and diesel prices from rising to intolerable levels. To that end, I have called an extraordinary cabinet meeting early in the afternoon. I will make an announcement afterward,” Orbán said.

Croatia reduces fuel costs

The Croatian government decided at an extraordinary meeting on Monday to cap fuel prices in response to rising oil costs triggered by the Middle East situation and the Iranian war, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic announced according to the Hungarian News Agency. According to Mr Plenkovic, without government intervention the price of eurodiesel would rise to €1.72 per litre (some €650), but the regulation caps it at €1.55 per litre (some €585). Petrol, meanwhile, will cost €1.50 per litre (some €566) instead of the market rate of €1.55 (some €585).