Ridiculous? Hungarian politician gave away goldfish to save energy

Photo: facebook.com/kocsismate, Creative Commons

The parliamentary group leader of Orbán’s Fidesz, Máté Kocsis, announced he would give away one of his aquariums because of the energy crisis. He kept his goldfish in it, which he gifted to one of his friends who has a pond in his garden. Meanwhile, István Simicskó, Kocsis’s counterpart in the parliamentary group of Fidesz ally KDNP, highlighted the importance of solar power.

A difficult decision

Fidesz held a two-day-long parliamentary group meeting in Balatonalmádi, followed by a press conference. Máté Kocsis, the parliamentary group leader, told journalists that he would give away one of his aquariums and his goldfish to save energy, index.hu reported.

“I took my fish to one of my friends who has a small pond in his garden. That was a hurting decision for me because I have been keeping fish for 35 years”, Kocsis added. He also highlighted he would continue to switch off the light at home and in the office. István Simicskó, the parliamentary group leader of the Christian Democrats, said he would like to extend the solar panels placed on the roof of his house.

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Energy authority: Gas storage facilities over 70 pc full

Hungary’s gas storage facilities are over 70 percent full, putting the country in the third best position in Europe in terms of the amount of gas stored compared to annual gas consumption, the Hungarian Energy and Public Utility Regulatory Authority (MEKH) said on Thursday. The authority said that on Sept. 19, gas storage facilities were 70.11 percent full and the total volume of gas stored reached 4.44 billion cubic metres. This amount equals 112.26 percent of annual residential gas consumption, it added.

In terms of the amount of gas stored compared to total annual gas consumption, Hungary stood at 40.55 percent, behind two countries that also store transit gas: Austria with 72.91 percent and Slovakia with 53.39 percent. In line with the schedule included in European Union regulations on gas storage, Hungary must store 35 percent of its five-year average consumption by November 1, which equals 3.65 billion cubic metres, MEKH said. Owing to fast storage filling in Hungary, it already has 42.57 percent of the past five year’s average consumption stored in underground facilities, it added.

“Gas supplies in Hungary are undisturbed and the filling of storage facilities is progressing as normal,” the authority said.