Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s talks in Berlin were a failure for Hungary, the spokesperson for the former prime minister’s office said on Wednesday.
As we wrote yesterday, Péter Magyar and Friedrich Merz seek closer ties but clash over Ukraine funding – VIDEO
Bertalan Havasi said in a statement that Germany had made it clear at the talks that Hungary must purchase LNG from Germany instead of Russian gas, at a price that is not yet known.
Given the energy policies of Western European countries, this does not bode well for Hungarian households and businesses, as energy prices there are significantly higher, he said, adding that German Chancellor Friedrich Merz also made it clear that Hungary cannot be exempted from providing financial support to Ukraine.
Havasi said that whereas the Czech and Slovak prime ministers had rejected the German chancellor’s “blackmail”, Magyar had avoided giving a direct answer.
The Tisza government should follow the position of its predecessor because that served Hungary’s interests, and the Hungarian government must recover the one billion euros in EU fines imposed on it for protecting its borders, Havasi added.
The Tisza government should not settle for anything less than the European Union reimbursing Hungary the full amount spent on protecting the EU’s external borders—more than 2.5 billion euros, he said. Hungary must also recover more than 2 billion euros in cohesion funds, he added.
As we wrote yesterday, Áron Orbán, brother of former Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán, faces arrest in people-smuggling investigation
