Hungary to vote ‘no’ to European energy market reform
Hungary will vote against the European Commission’s proposal to reform the European electricity market, the minister of foreign affairs and trade said in Luxembourg on Monday, adding that the reform would take away the right of EU member states to keep utility prices low.
Péter Szijjártó told a press conference on the sidelines of an EU meeting on energy affairs that due to the war in Ukraine and related sanctions the situation on the EU energy market was still “rather fragile”, with natural gas prices starting to ratchet up again. “Gas prices are way above a historic average, even if they are below last year’s peak.”
He said the bloc was not fast enough in building sufficient capacities to receive liquified natural gas (LNG) to meet demands that gained impetus after the coronavirus-related restrictions were lifted in East Asia. Weather can also be a serious factor that can create uncertainty not only around next winter but as regards water consumption needs this summer.
“In this situation the government has a dual goal and responsibility. First, it must ensure that Hungary has stable energy supplies; second, it must also ensure that low utility prices are protected,” he said.
The foreign minister referred to “serious attacks directed recently at Hungary’s utility cuts by Brussels”, adding that over the rejection of the commission’s proposal put forward on Monday, Hungary had also faced “yet another attack”.
The proposal would take away from member states the right to protect their citizens against high energy prices, Szijjártó said, adding that Brussels sought to seize the right to decide when to declare an energy crisis-related emergency and allow a member state to cut utility prices in such a situation.
“This is nonsense, because one of the main lessons learnt in the recent past is precisely that the realisation of the situation and quick response can help,” he said, adding that “rather lengthy and bureaucratic decision-making in Brussels” was not a solution to problems.
Szijjártó noted that Hungary had previously won a lawsuit in the European Court of Justice in that regard, which he said also went to show that Brussels had no right to take away this national competence.
He said Hungarians paid the lowest energy bills in Europe, “and we … will uphold this situation”. “It is utterly unacceptable of Brussels to take away this right from us, so of course we will vote ‘no’ to the draft reform of the electricity market.”
Regarding the controversies around nuclear energy, Szijjártó said that while “attacks have not subsided”, a strong pro-nuclear energy coalition had been formed with the French leadership, of which Hungary was also a partner.
“European energy security and environmental protection goals are impossible to achieve without nuclear energy,” he said.
Meanwhile, Germany “has once again come up with a proposal” to impose sanctions on Russian state-owned nuclear energy company Rosatom, he said. Rosatom leads the upgrade of Hungary’s only nuclear plant, which covers half of the country’s electricity consumption, he noted. Should the proposal be formally tabled, Hungary’s government will oppose it vehemently, Szijjártó said.
Germany argues that such a sanction would serve the interests of Ukraine. “We respect the interests of Ukraine but think that EU member states’ interests should weigh more in EU decision-making than that of non-members,” he said.
Regarding gas reserves, Szijjártó said that Hungary had already stored enough gas to cover 39 percent of its needs next winter, against the EU average of 22 percent.
Szijjártó also called for the protection of critical energy infrastructure, especially of the TurkStream pipeline. He said it was “nonsense” that “everyone conspicuously seems to be avoiding investigating the terrorist attack on the NordStream pipeline a few months ago”.
He said that developing transit routes in south-east Europe was key to energy diversification.
“Since this is a physical question rather than that of political pipedreams, the European Commission has a responsibility here,” he said.
He also called for EU action against “certain EU member states and third countries which have raised transit fees by utterly unfair proportions in a way that seems coordinated,” he said. “This is not a friendly or fair gesture, or one that suggests cooperation based on mutual respect,” he said.
Meanwhile, Szijjártó had talks with Peter Dovhun, Slovakia’s minister of economy, in Luxembourg, and discussed issues around energy policy. Szijjártó said on Facebook that Hungary and Slovakia’s energy interests largely coincided.
“Unfortunately, a debate has again flared up in Brussels about whether or not to impose sanctions on the nuclear industry. Therefore we have reinforced our alliance and will not surrender to pressure. We insist that defining the energy mix of a country should stay a national competency, and we will not allow the nuclear industry to be sanctioned,” he said.
Every new report like this truly shocks me anew each time, just how arrogant and megalomaniacal the E.U. is. These people want to take the lead from the globalist-socialist Germany, which wants to ban nuclear and rely on the asinine wind and solar, and whose citizens have to take tepid showers and spend their winter days in converted communal halls because they can’t afford to heat their apartments. It’s absolute insanity! Could the E.U. be any more blatant about hating its own citizens and working against them!?! Hungary MUST stand firm against this or we’re going be totally screwed (and not in a good way!).
Last winter in Germany, more seniors died than during a winter of COVID. The German seniors were not allowed to heat their home to required temperature. The mandate was that seniors stuck at home can only heat their homes to 59 degrees maximum.
Hungarian government has only one mandate, the mandate it to serve the interest of her population. The Hungarian government ensured supply of energy for the use of the people last winter. This must be continued.
Germany said it would be advantageous to put sanctions on Rosatom, Russian State-owned nuclear company because it would benefit Ukraine. Well, Ukraine as a country, is slowly going to hell. Almost 50% of the population left, infrastructure destroyed, and the death toll is on the rise. Ukraine made its bed not it can lie in it. They had a choice of peace by stating that they will delay joining NATO.
Hungary must veto all bills coming from Germany and their green maniacs. Hungar must never let EU interfere in its internal affairs.
No, FACT CHECK, Germany did not mandate houses should not be heated… Guideline listed below.
https://www.thelocal.de/20220919/explained-when-should-i-turn-on-my-heating-in-germany-this-year
Then the “Hungarian government has only one mandate” misapprehension. Of free will, we joined a club called the European Union, representing we would abide by it’s club rules in exchange for which we would receive certain benefits (and lots of benefits we received over the years – including but not limited to cold hard cash for development, access to the customs union, free movement of people, etc.). We relinquished a part of our sovereignty to benefit from EU membership.
That’s how it goes, in international treaties and organizations. If you don’t like it – go your own way. The Brits are doing just that, and finding it’s a hard slog, all alone. @mariavontheresa – could you list the Brexit benefits? Away from the big bad EU?
Norbert, the rules were totally different when Hungary joined the EU. The original agreement did not cede sovereignty to socialists in the EU.
It seemed that when people of EU have lost their mind and elected socialist parliament. The rules changed starting in 2015.
In 2015, the EU broke its rules by ignoring the Dublin Regulation, adopted in 2003. Hungary ended up with 400,000 + illegal migrants. These migrants have passed through safe countries, where the Syrian migrants and others were supposed to apply for refugee status. Instead, the Syrians joined by citizens from Africa and other countries, entered illegally into Hungary. The young men terrified the seniors in border towns. The Red Cross helped out by providing food, the food was thrown out because the box depicted a Red Cross. The illegal migrants looted villages, assaulted women, soiled the whole territory wherever they went and took over a train station. This was not the way civilized people acted. Hungary has responded by closing the border to illegals. There is a legal way of entering Hungary by applying at a Consulate, but this was ignored by the illegals. The EU responded by crucifying Hungary.
To this date, the EU allows illegals to enter its territory regardless their need for protection. The EU policy has enriched the smugglers. Sweden even allows terrorist to stay in their country. The migrants of 2015 have failed to assimilate. A large % of these migrants could not read and right in their own language. In Germany, only between 50 to 60% of the 2015 illegal migrants are employed gainfully.
Another bone of contention is the grooming and mutilating children. Hungary prefers to protect its children while previously, enacted laws to protect its LGBT community.
Now, we come to energy supply. Hungary lacks oil and gas. Russia is a reliable supplier of Hungary’s energy needs. The Hungarian government’s only mandate is to serve and protect the Hungarian people. Yes, Hungary does not support the war, yet helps all refugees that cross its order. It seems that Hungary at least protects Ukrainians while the US and EU are abetting the killing of Ukrainian citizens and destruction of infrastructure by weaponizing the country.
I agree, Hungary should withdraw from the EU. It took almost 2000 years to throw off foreign dictatorship and control of the country. Now, it is time to protect this freedom.
Ukrainians have the right of self defence and the EU and allied countries have the right to assist Ukraine in its’ defence against aggression. It is Ukrainians who have the right to decide how they wish to push the brutal Russian invaders out, not Mariavontheresa or any other outsiders. Ukraine welcomes all assistance for its’ defence and it is Russian propagandists that push capitulation and the withholding of assistance. Do that and Putin will line up the next country for occupation as no one will stop him and the largest country in the world will become an even larger hole of oppression. This situation is exactly the same as the resistance of German Nazi aggression in WWII with Putin now in the role as Hitler.