Süli sworn in as minister in charge of Paks upgrade

Budapest, May 2 (MTI) – János Süli was officially sworn in as minister without portfolio in charge of overseeing and managing the upgrade of the Paks nuclear power plant in a session of parliament on Tuesday.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced early last month that he would appoint a minister without portfolio to oversee the project.

The new minister was congratulated by the prime minister, members of government and the group leaders of the parliamentary parties.

As an act of protest against the project, LMP group leader Bernadett Szél handed Suli an enlarged mock agreement entitled “Agreement on the Cancellation of the Paks Deal” with signature lines for Orbán and Russian President Vladimir Putin to sign their names.

The leftist opposition Democratic Coalition (DK) earlier in the day said Hungary needed neither the upgrade of the Paks nuclear power plant nor a minister in charge of the project. Speaking before Suli’s swearing-in as minister, DK spokesman Zsolt Gréczy told a press conference that “it seems Vladimir Putin can hardly wait to see Hungary consumed by debt, and his junior officer Viktor Orban wants to reassure the Russian president with the minister’s appointment … which now chains Hungary to Moscow.”

János Süli should resign immediately unless he wants to become “directly responsible” for Orbán’s “betrayal” of Hungary, Gréczy said. He urged the next “democratic government” elected in 2018 to abolish the “Orbán-Putin pact” as well as the Paks upgrade that “will put Hungary in debt to Russia”.

Source: MTI