The new Russian discount chain MERE has announced in a letter that they will soon start operations in Hungary. In three years, they want to open 200 stores and achieve a turnover of EUR 700 million in the country.
The Russian retail chain MERE (known in Russia as Svetofor) was founded in 2009 and has since been present in at least 20 countries, including several European countries like Romania and Serbia, among others, Index reports.
New Russian discount chain
The Russian MERE discount chain. Photo: mere.ws
Haszon.hu reported that they recently received an e-mail dated February in which the representatives of the chain wrote:
“We are pleased to announce that the European MERE supermarket network will now also be available in Hungary.”
According to haszon.hu, the letter was sent to potential business partners and outlined that 20 stores would be opened in Budapest and the agglomeration “in the coming year”. In the next three years, they plan to open 200 stores in the country, with an annual turnover of EUR 700 million.
MERE’s offers
The Russian MERE discount chain. Photo: mere.ws
The portal wrote that MERE, like Aldi or Lidl, is a so-called hard discount chain. This means that it offers its products at extremely reduced prices. As they wrote, their shops are “rather spartan”, because they offer their products to customers in boxes and on pallets.
In their email, they promise to offer prices 20% lower than the market average thanks to direct cooperation with manufacturers, strict cost control and minimal trade mark-ups.
MERE’s products
The Russian MERE discount chain. Photo: mere.ws
As they wrote, they are mainly expecting customers who are family people with average to below-average incomes, who plan their purchases and visit the store 1-2 times a week. The range of products available in the store will consist of around 1,500 items: food, beverages, industrial goods and household chemicals, including private-label products.
As haszon.hu mentions, the Russian discount chain has been trying to expand for years. However, their attempts were halted by the war. In 2022, for example, they planned to open their first stores in Slovakia, but the invasion put paid to that plan.
Index, a Hungarian government-close media outlet, is outraged by the Embassy of the United States due to a video they advertise on Facebook. The video focuses on how PM Orbán and his government keep Hungary in Russian gas dependence. Meanwhile, our NATO and EU allies in the region could get rid of Russian gas after Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Index has a special place in the Hungarian media market. The Hungarian government does not visibly control the public media or the TV2 TV channel. But it never publishes articles significantly harming the Hungarian government. For example, they did not write about the presidential clemency scandal resulting in the resignation of the Hungarian president and Fidesz’s no. 1 European parliamentary elections candidate, Judit Varga, until PM Orbán’s announcement days after the outbreak of the scandal. We detailed that sad story in THIS article. And HEREis another article about Péter Magyar, the ex-husband of former Justice Minister Judit Varga, who may launch a new and influential political party for the 9 June elections.
Péter Magyar. Source: FB/Péter Magyar
Orbán cabinet keeps Hungary in Russian energy dependence?
Considering all that, it is not surprising that Index now criticised the US Embassy in Budapest because one of their videos slammed the Orbán cabinet.
“FM Szijjártó is in Russia for an energy conference – his seventh trip to Russia since Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine”, they wrote above the video dealing with Hungary’s dependence on Russian gas.
In the video, the US Embassy says the Czech Republic, Poland and Bulgaria could reduce their dependence to almost 0 by 2023. That comes after Czechia imported 80% of its gas needs from Russia, while that rate was 57% in Poland and 77% in Bulgaria. In the European Union, 49% was the rate of Russian imported gas, but it fell to 14% in 2023.
US Ambassador David Pressman. Source: US Embassy Budapest
Based on the US Embassy’s video, the Orbán cabinet decided to keep up the country’s dependence on Russian energy. They showed multiple articles published in the Hungarian media about how expensive the Orbán cabinet buys Russian gas. We wrote about that in THISarticle. In short, Hungary has already lost hundreds of millions of euros on the Russian gas business.
“Only Hungary’s political leadership decided to keep the country in Russian energy dependence”, the embassy’s video concludes.
Expert suggests the USA would like Hungary to buy American LNG
Index asked the energy and climate department head of the Századvég, a government-close think tank. Olivér Hortay said the European Union acknowledged that separating Hungary from the Russian gas has physical obstacles. Mr Hortay believes the US embassy slammed only that statement. However, because of its advertisement, it reached many people in Hungary. And that is why Index thought they should publish a reaction.
Hortay said it is the right of the Hungarian government to decide which country they purchase energy from. Nobody has the right to interfere in that, Hortay added. The Hungarian government continuously repeats that they want to protect their right to decide freely in different matters (gender, war, migration, etc.), highlighting that Hungary is a sovereign state.
Hortay said Poland signed contracts with American companies to substitute Russian gas. However, that business is more expensive and less environment-friendly. Czechia does the same, but they need German pipes to transmit the gas, so they even pay an extra transport fee.
Hortay said the US Embassy’s campaign serves political and business goals. They would like to convince the Hungarian government to buy American LNG. He added that American gas was more expensive than the Russian.
Hungary buys Russian gas. Photo: Creative Commons CC BY 4.0
Hungary tries to diversify its gas market
The expert highlighted that not only Hungary kept its Russian supporters, but also Austria. The head of the OMV, for example, said they had a long-term contract with Russia, and until the Russians deliver, they will use Moscow’s gas.
In the case of Bulgaria, experts believe their Russian gas transport to Türkiye is a trick, and this is how they also get Russian fuel.
Hortay added that the Hungarian government tried to reduce its dependence on Russia. That is why they signed contracts with Türkiye, Azerbaijan, and Qatar. Furthermore, Hungary makes an effort to increase domestic production. We wrote about MOL’s oil extraction near Budapest Airport in THISarticle.
To conclude, the Századvég expert claims other European countries are using Russian gas, and the Hungarian government also tries to diversify its energy import. Therefore, the US Embassy’s video exerts pressure on the Hungarian government to buy American energy. On the other hand, Hungary lost hundreds of millions of euros in the Russian gas business because the market prices decreased after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Read also:
Russian agents operating in Hungary identified – Read more HERE
Orbán cabinet gets rid of foreign competitors in this skyrocketing economy branch – Details in THISarticle
There is a Hungarian link to the Russian influence network in the European Union, which promotes Russian propaganda. The network has been placed on a national sanctions list by the Czech Republic, which claims that the aim of the Voice of Europe site was to block aid to Ukraine. In addition to this news site, the Hungarian individuals involved may also be linked to another news site also spreading Russian propaganda.
Russian agents operating in Hungary uncovered
Vladimir Putin/Photo: TASS News Agency/Wikimedia Commons
As reported by Daily News Hungary, the Czech Republic has reported that a Russian propaganda network is operating in the European Union. The network has been placed on a national sanctions list for allegedly blocking aid to Ukraine through a site called Voice of Europe. Several EU politicians may be involved in the case, including Hungarians.
Hvg.hu has learned from sources with insight into the details of the intelligence operations that the counterintelligence service has identified two persons living in Budapest in the Russian influence network.
They are a French citizen living in Budapest and a French-Hungarian citizen also living in the Hungarian capital, who are active in far-right circles and have active contacts with Hungarian politicians.
Voice of Europe not the only such website
Viktor Medvedchuk Source: Wikimedia Commons/duma.gov.ru
The operator of the website voiceofeurope.com is registered in Prague, but is also active on Facebook and Platform X (formerly Twitter). As we reported, on Wednesday evening, the Voice of Europe site was no longer available. However, according to information from hvg.hu, the Hungarian stakeholders may be linked to another news portal, also spreading Russian propaganda, in addition to the Voice of Europe news site.
The individuals include Viktor Medvedchuk, a politician and businessman who was deprived of his Ukrainian citizenship after the outbreak of the war and now lives in Russia, and Artyom Marchevsky. They are behind the funding of the Voice of Europe news portal, spreading Russian propaganda.
Some European politicians who worked for the news site were allegedly paid with Russian money, which in some cases also covered campaign costs for the European Parliament elections in June. Voice of Europe has published statements by politicians who have called on the European Union to stop aid to Ukraine. They reportedly included politicians from Germany, France, Poland, Belgium, the Netherlands and Hungary.
Hungarian politicians may have been part of a Moscow-funded propaganda network uncovered by the Czech secret service, Spiegel reports. Half a dozen European intelligence services were involved in uncovering the propaganda network, with money going to German, Belgian, French, Dutch and Polish politicians as well as the Hungarian.
Extensive propaganda network
Petr Fiala in 2022. Source: depositphotos.com
Hungarian politicians may have been part of a Moscow-funded propaganda network uncovered by the Czech secret service, hvg.hu reported on Wednesday, citing Spiegel.
The group spread narratives through the Prague-based Voice of Europe news portal aimed at discouraging the European Union from helping Ukraine in its fight against the Russian army,
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said on Wednesday.
According to Fiala, the BIS, the Czech security information service, found that the pro-Russian network had been carrying out activities that “have serious consequences for the security of the Czech Republic and the EU”. The group had been agitating in the EU against “the territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of Ukraine” and its activities had reached the European Parliament.
Voice of Europe no longer available
The Czech daily Deník N reported that the Voice of Europe news website had published statements by politicians calling on the EU to stop aid to Ukraine.
The operator of the website “voiceofeurope.com” is registered in Prague and is active on social networks such as Facebook and X (formerly Twitter), where it has more than 180,000 followers. Voice of Europe was no longer available on Wednesday evening.
Money received from Moscow for propaganda used to fund election campaigns
Some European politicians who have worked with the news site have been paid by Russia, and in some cases, the money has been used to fund their election campaigns for the European Parliament elections in June.
Viktor Medvedchuk Source: Wikimedia Commons/duma.gov.ru
German, Belgian, French, Hungarian, Dutch and Polish politicians received the money, Deník N reported, citing Czech Foreign Ministry sources. The Alternative for Germany (AfD) was also involved. The Czech Republic has added Voice of Europe and its alleged supporters to its sanctions list.
According to Spiegel, half a dozen European intelligence services were involved in exposing the network. Voice of Europe is allegedly backed by a Ukrainian-born pro-Russian oligarch and close friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Viktor Medvedchuk. According to the Spiegel article, Medvedchuk used Voice of Europe to provide secret financial support to candidates in the European Parliament elections.
According to Reuters, Medvedchuk, who was also a member of parliament in Kyiv, was exchanged for Ukrainian prisoners of war with Russia in 2022, when he was stripped of his Ukrainian citizenship.
An allegedly Hungarian pro-Russia group has been recruiting Hungarian mercenaries through Russian social media with promises of high salaries, citizenship and social support in exchange for fighting against Ukraine.
The so-called Legion of Saint Stephen (Szent István Légiója) began recruiting mercenaries for the Russian military in September 2023, as reported by Blikk. While their invitation is open to all nationalities, Hungarians enjoy priority in admission. The group offers a high salary, though not specifying details on the exact amount, and citizenship for Hungarians upon joining the Russian military ranks.
In one of their posts, they addressed potential recruits:
“Dear Friends, we are once again starting the recruitment of volunteers. […] Combat experience is welcome, though not mandatory; we will teach you everything.”
The Legion had previously engaged in recruitment efforts for Russia in 2014 – but their authenticity is questionable
Lakmusz mentions references to the group as early as 2014, allegedly mobilising Hungarians to partake in conflicts within Eastern Ukraine. However, it remained uncertain at the time whether they were an actual battalion made up of Hungarians or simply a creation of the Russian propaganda machine.
The Legion’s social media profile remained active over the years. However, in 2023, they intensified efforts to recruit individuals for the war cause, primarily through the Russian social media platform Vkontakte and various Telegram channels. Vkontakte has attracted a significant number of Hungarian users expressing pro-Russian sentiments; Lakmusz’s 2023 investigation revealed that the Legion boasted approximately 7,000 followers and nearly 30,000 posts on the platform.
In addition to recruitment activities, as detailed by Blikk, the Legion shares updates on the Ukrainian conflict (from a distinctly pro-Russian standpoint) while also posting occasionally about Budapest’s splendour, dubbing it the “jewel box of Europe,” and highlighting King Matthias.
Serving in foreign military is a crime in Hungary
It’s worth noting that serving in foreign militaries constitutes a criminal offence in Hungary. According to the Hungarian Civil Code, Hungarian citizens participating in foreign armed groups or recruiting others for such endeavours can face imprisonment for up to five years. In a notable case, a former police officer who enlisted in the Russian military in 2014 received a two-year suspended sentence upon returning to Hungary.
Furthermore, Lakmusz’s findings reveal that since 2018, several individuals linked to the Legion of Saint Stephen have been sought by authorities for illegal recruitment into foreign military activities. According to Blikk, two Hungarian men associated with the group, identifiable in pictures on the organisation’s social media, are wanted by police for their alleged involvement in the conflict in Donetsk in 2018.
However, security policy expert István Gyarmati underscores to the magazine that while there may be a limited number of Hungarian mercenaries fighting on the side of the Russians in the war, precise figures remain elusive.
Read more:
Putin likes this: PM Orbán says sending Western troops to Ukraine staggering idea – Read HERE
Orbán cabinet: Ending Russia-Ukraine war Hungary’s fundamental interest – HERE
Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó phoned Sergei Lavrov, his Russian counterpart, on Saturday to express his “deepest condolences” over the terrorist attack on a concert hall that killed at least a hundred people on the outskirts of Moscow during the previous night.
He told Lavrov that Hungary resolutely condemns the attack in which innocent people had been killed, according to a foreign ministry statement.
Hungary stands with those mourning their loss, Szijjártó told Lavrov. “Those are in our prayers, and we wish a swift and full recovery to those who were injured in the terrorist attack,” he said.
Lavrov told Szijjártó that Russian authorities would do everything they could to round up those responsible for the terrorist attack. The Hungarian minister Szijjártó said that in a new development the Islamic State terrorist organisation had claimed responsibility for the attack and 11 of the suspected perpetrators had been detained.
Szijjártó told his Russian colleague that Hungary condemns “in the strongest possible terms” every form of terrorism and will continue to participate in international anti-terrorism cooperation.
He said the ministry had not received information about Hungarian victims or casualties. Szijjártó makes no mention of the Russian bombing, which terrorises Ukraine on a daily basis.
Atomexpo 2024 in Sochi: the upgrade of Hungary’s nuclear power plant in Paks will stand as a “long-term guarantee” of Hungary’s competitiveness, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said after meeting Alexei Likhachev, the head of Russian nuclear energy company Rosatom, in Sochi on Monday.
At the meeting held with the chief executive of the general contractor of the Paks plant expansion, Szijjártó reviewed the status of the construction project, the foreign ministry said in a statement.
The upgrade would secure Hungary’s electricity supply for decades to come, Szijjártó said, adding that the Paks plant would supply 70 percent of the country’s demand and provide “a great degree of independence from the occasionally insane changes in the international energy market as well as from skyrocketing prices”.
Szijjártó said
works on the project were nearing another “milestone” as one of the melt traps, a key safety element in nuclear plants, has been completed and is expected to be shipped to Hungary in the second quarter of the year after the necessary tests.
Meanwhile, the minister welcomed that soil consolidation by German, American and other subcontractors was under way at the site.
“Those milestones … forecast that we can pour the first concrete by the end of the year and that the two new reactor blocks can start operations early in the next decade,” he added.
Speaking at the Atomexpo nuclear energy trade fair later in the day, Szijjártó called for nuclear energy to remain a field of international cooperation, lamenting that the field was riddled with ideological debates.
“As long as infrastructure determines energy cooperation, ideology should have nothing to do with [it],” he said.
He said that whereas nuclear energy had been “a victim of ideology” recently, Europe had “overcome” discrimination, “thanks mostly to the fact that France is a pro-nuclear country”, he said. “We were able to win our debates in Europe and make it recognised that generating electricity in a nuclear way is sustainable, safe and cheap,” he said.
Szijjártó said that severing nuclear cooperation between Europe and Russia “would be another dent in the continent’s competitiveness”, putting the EU’s green goals at risk.
He said criticism of Hungary on the issue was “hypocritical” as Rosatom was working with sub-contractors from the US, Germany, France, Switzerland, Austria and Sweden at the Paks site.
“This means … on the corporate level at least, decision-makers have not lost their common sense yet,” Szijjártó said, adding that Hungary would not adopt EU sanctions against the Russian nuclear sector, as doing so would harm Hungary’s interests.
Banning nuclear cooperation would also be “strange”, as Russia was also the largest Uranium supplier to the US last year, exporting ore worth some 1 billion dollars in 2023, he added.
“I do hope that in the future rationality and common sense will prevail … and the nuclear industry will be exempt from ideological debates. I hope that we will only concentrate on professional and scientific issues…”
In Sochi, Szijjártó also met representatives of the Serbian, Turkish, Iraqi and Belorussian government.
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has expressed his condolences to Russian President Vladimir Putin and all of Russia’s citizens “over the brutal terrorist attack at Moscow’s Crocus City Hall”, his press chief told MTI on Saturday.
“We have all been shocked by the images of the dead, the wounded, and the destruction,” Orbán said in a letter to Putin. The Hungarian government is committed to supporting the fight against terrorism, Orbán said, and pledged Hungary’s continued support to stepping up international counter-terrorism operations.
Photo: FB
Possible Hungarian victim?
Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó phoned Sergei Lavrov, his Russian counterpart, on Saturday to express his “deepest condolences” over the terrorist attack on a concert hall that killed at least a hundred people on the outskirts of Moscow during the previous night.
He told Lavrov that Hungary resolutely condemns the attack in which innocent people had been killed, according to a foreign ministry statement.
Hungary stands with those mourning their loss, Szijjártó told Lavrov. “Those are in our prayers and we wish a swift and full recovery to those who were injured in the terrorist attack,” he said.
Sergey Lavrov and Péter Szijjártó. Source: Facebook/Szijjártó Péter
Lavrov told Szijjártó that Russian authorities would do everything they can to round up those responsible for the terrorist attack. He said that in a new development the Islamic State terrorist organisation had claimed responsibility for the attack and 11 of the suspected perpetrators had been detained.
Szijjártó told his Russian colleague that Hungary condemns “in the strongest possible terms” every form of terrorism and will continue to participate in international anti-terrorism cooperations.
He said that the ministry had not received information about any Hungarian victims or casualties.
Parliament speaker sends condolences to Moscow over terrorist attack
House Speaker László Kövér has sent a telegram of condolences to the speakers of the upper and lower houses of the Russian parliament over Friday evening’s terrorist attack on Moscow’s Crocus City Hall.”I learnt with deep sorrow about the terrorist attack,” Kövér said in his telegram on Saturday.
Hungary firmly condemns terrorism and is ready to contribute to the international fight against it through every possible means also in the future, he said, and called for the broadest possible international cooperation.
He expressed his condolences to his Russian colleagues and to the families of the victims and wished a speedy recovery to those that have been injured in the attack.
Read also:
Putin’s insider: If Trump wins, Croatia will be divided between Serbia and Hungary – Read more HERE
Orbán’s letter to Putin detailsHungarian PM’s thoughts on peace
Mikhail Khazin, a seasoned confidant of Vladimir Putin and an analyst at the state-owned Sputnik news agency, has expressed a notable perspective on the future of the European Union. His insights foreshadow an unexpected series of events that could precipitate a significant shift in the borders of European nations.
According to Khazin, the downfall of the EU appears imminent and could be significantly hastened if Donald Trump secures victory in the upcoming US elections. Khazin shared these insights during an interview with the Belarusian news agency Belset with the discussion subsequently published by jutarnji.hr, according to HVG.
Mikhail Hazin posits that a Trump triumph would leave Europe isolated, potentially catalysing the dissolution of the European Union. He envisages a return to a post-1945 scenario, where nations like Hungary may assert territorial claims, such as reclaiming Transylvania and Carpathia. In the interview, Hazin stated the following:
Let us not forget that Viktor Orbán often says that Hungary has always had a sea exit. In order to have one again, Croatia will have to be dismantled. Serbia and Hungary will share it, the moment the European Union is dissolved.
Hazin also predicts potential conflicts, such as Serbia invading Bosnia and Herzegovina, although specific details on these scenarios remain elusive.
As Hazin delves into speculative scenarios like Germany taking Silesia and Gdansk from Poland, his analysis seems to echo back to the pre-World War II era of 1939 rather than representing actual trends in Europe. This narrative reflects an unusual aspect of Putinist media, where analysts like Hazin engage in projections that may not align with current geopolitical realities.
A case in point illustrating this media dynamic is the incident involving the potential scientist Alexander Sityin, whose passion to decode Russian warfare inadvertently unveiled deeper truths about Russia’s expansionist ambitions beyond Ukraine, prompting an abrupt interruption in programming. Such instances underscore the intricate complexities and concealed agendas often interwoven within such media narratives.
Putin’s previous indications of territorial claims
This is not the first instance of Russia attempting to sow discord among its Western allies under the pretext of territorial ambitions. A notable example is when Vladimir Putin hinted at potential territorial claims by Poland, Hungary and Romania against Ukraine, followed by a subtle nod towards Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán during an interview with Tucker Carlson.
During the interview, Putin denied ever suggesting to Viktor Orbán that Hungary could reclaim territories from Ukraine that were annexed during Soviet times and previously belonged to Hungary. However, the context and significance of this denial, especially concerning its impact on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, significantly diminish the credibility and significance of Putin’s statement or gesture.
This incident isn’t the first time Hungary’s territorial claims have surfaced. Previously, we reported on a map disclosed by Russian Security Chairman Dmitry Medvedev, which depicted Transcarpathia as part of Hungary, eliciting considerable surprise and concern.
Read also:
France leads the voices raising the threat of world war, says Hungarian FM Szijjártó – HERE
Orbán cabinet: Ukraine cannot win, Western troops’ deployment unacceptable – HERE
Following the publication of the official results of the Russian presidential election, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán sent a letter to President Vladimir Putin to congratulate him on his recent re-election, the prime minister’s press chief said on Thursday.
Orbánsaid it was a matter of satisfaction that cooperation between Hungary and Russia was “based on mutual respect, enabling the discussion of important issues, even amid the current difficult geopolitical situation”.
Orbán said Hungary stood on the side of peace, “and we are convinced that maintaining dialogue is an essential condition for establishing the quickest possible peace”.
He assured the Russian president of Hungary’s readiness to enhance cooperation with Russia in areas not restricted by international law, Havasi said.
Political director: Only diplomacy can end Russia-Ukraine war
Photo: FB/Balázs Orbán
Unlike belligerent Brussels, Hungary’s standpoint is that the Russia-Ukraine war can only be ended through diplomacy, for which a ceasefire is a precondition, Balázs Orbán, the prime minister’s political director, said in Brussels on Thursday.
An increasing number of people in Brussels are discussing aspects of support for Ukraine that risk the outbreak of a third world war, a “doomsday scenario”, the official told Hungarian journalists on the opening day of the European Union summit.
“What’s at stake is serious,” the PM’s political director said.
He said that several statements by “serious leaders of Brussels and member states” had come to light in recent days that pushed events “in a direction that Hungary has been trying to avoid for two years”, piling on pressure to involve NATO troops in the war in Ukraine and risking the war’s escalation.
Peace talks “must start as soon as possible”, he said, adding that political leaders in Brussels should “pull away from the current spiral of escalation”.
Orbán noted Hungary’s stance on sending weapons to Ukraine: “We do not support sending weapons in any context or within any procedure. We are unwilling to make Hungary party to the war.”
Also, if proposed sanctions were to conflict with Hungary’s fundamental national interest, “we will stop those too”, he said.
He said Europe should be able to defend itself and guarantee its own security. But given its reliance on others whose geopolitical interests differed from its own, he added, Europe was in a position of strategic weakness.
Developing Europe’s military industry and armed forces would be crucial in terms of fortifying European sovereignty, he said, adding that Hungary would partner with any initiative at European level that advanced Europe’s military industry and armed forces.
The June European parliamentary election could result in the predominance of pro-peace politicians in the EP, and this could possibly determine what happens in respect of the war in Ukraine.
Orbán: Nuclear energy only way to produce sustainable, safe electricity
Photo: FB/Viktor Orbán
Only nuclear energy can produce large quantities of cheap, safe and sustainable electricity, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said in Brussels on Thursday.
Speaking at the Nuclear Energy Summit 2024, organised by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Orbán noted that Hungary has been using nuclear energy for some 50 years, “and this provides a stable basis for the safety of our energy supply”.
Around half of Hungary’s electricity is produced by its nuclear plant, which covers about one-third of its demand, he said.
“Based on this experience, we decided not only to maintain our already existing capacity, but to invest more into nuclear, and to increase its share into 70 percent when it comes to national electric supply,” Orbán said in his speech delivered in English.
“The challenges we have been faced with recently have further raised the significance of safe and secure supply of energy,” he said.
“The question became absolutely obvious: how can we generate big quantity of electricity in a cheap, safe, sustainable and environmentally friendly way. The answer is clear: it is only the nuclear way of generating electricity which can simultaneously satisfy all these requirements.”
Orbán said that “a new capacity of 2,400 megawatt will be connected to the grid” at the beginning of the next decade.
“This will enable us to avoid imports of 3.5 billion cubic metres of natural gas every year, and our annual CO2 emission will be decreased by 17 million tonnes, which equals 1.5 times more than the emission of the entire Hungarian transportation sector and three times more compared what all Hungarian forests can digest.
“We are happy to note that regardless of the geopolitical difficulties, a wide range international, professional and scientific cooperations still exist on the field of nuclear energy, while Russia became the number one Uranium supplier of the United States this year, a number of American, German, French, Swedish, Swiss and even Austrian sub-contractors are working together with the Russian constructor of our nuclear expansion project.”
“It is the interest of all of us to prevent nuclear energy to become hostage of geopolitical conflicts, hypocrisy and ideological debates. Therefore let me finally thank all of you to interfere into the European Court case regarding our nuclear investment and to ensure the safe delivery of nuclear fuel to our existing plant.”
Speaking to journalists, Orbán reiterated that the issue of energy often became hostage to an ideological approach which, he said, was “bad”, arguing that energy was neither an ideological nor a geopolitical question, and should be rescued from that “trap”.
Orbán stated Hungary’s full support for nuclear energy as the only energy source that did not degrade the environment while providing large quantities of energy.
Fully 86 percent of Hungarians oppose sending European or NATO troops to Ukraine, according to a fresh survey by pollster Századvég released on Thursday.
Századvég survey
In a statement, Századvég noted that several European leaders had recently “joined in on the war rhetoric of French President Emmanuel Macron”, proposing that European countries should support Ukraine in the war against Russia by sending troops of their own to the conflict.
Századvég said its survey found that 75 percent of Hungarians saw the war as conflict between the economic and military interests of the United States and Russia. Hungarians also say the biggest obstacle to peace is that neither side is willing to compromise, the statement added.
Altogether 77 percent of respondents said they had heard about the French president and other European as well as Ukrainian leaders urging the involvement of European troops in the conflict.
Meanwhile, Századvég also found that 80 percent of Hungarians say Russia is unlikely to attack Hungary if achieves a military victory in Ukraine, while 79 percent believe Russia would not attack NATO at all.
Hungary is calling on the European Union to set clear political guidelines on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the minister in charge of European Union affairs said on Tuesday.
János Bóka told the Hungarian press after a meeting of EU affairs ministers in Brussels that the EU must ensure its reactions to the war’s developments are predictable for the bloc and for Ukraine.
The EU’s policy on Ukraine has started developing in a way that could create strategic uncertainty instead of setting a clear political framework, he added.
The EU must also clarify the areas in which it will support Ukraine, he said. “We don’t think we can responsibly take on commitments of which boundaries are not clear to member states.”
Regarding the conflict between Hamas and Israel, Bóka said Hungary condemned the attacks by the terrorist organisation and demanded the immediate release of the hostages. Hungary recognised Israel’s right to self-defence, he said. Security risks to Israel must be eliminated before talks can start on the future of negotiations in the Middle East and on avoiding escalation, he added.
Humanitarian ceasefires must help aid efforts and the release of hostages, he added.
“We see it as important that aid reaches those truly in need of help and that Hamas and other terrorist organisations can’t abuse the efforts.”
Touching on the matter of European agriculture, Bóka said Hungary saw the issue as of primary importance. The Common Agricultural Policy must take into account the “the repercussions of opening the market to Ukraine, which is now felt in almost all member states,” he added.
The European summit starting on Thursday will discuss issues on migration, including the protection of the external borders and cooperation with third countries. Hungary is hoping for further deals similar to that signed with Egypt and “we would like the European Council to discuss and make decisions on the cooperation with Turkiye,” he added.
The Hungarian company Ganz-Mavag Europe Plc., a member of the MaVag Group, has initiated a voluntary takeover bid for 100% of Talgo’s shares, which is a Spanish manufacturer of high-speed trains. The move is aimed at fostering synergies between the two companies.
György Bacsa, the chairman of Ganz-Mavag Europe Plc., expressed that Talgo’s board of directors finds the offer favourable, emphasising the transaction’s focus on enhancing manufacturing and development cultures jointly. The strategic partnership is anticipated to benefit both parties, which will enable Talgo to expand its capacity and strengthen its presence in European and Eastern markets while facilitating MaVag’s manufacturing capabilities, according to Index.
The offer and the plans
Despite the struggling railway industry in the aftermath of the regime change in Hungary, MaVag has emerged as a significant player who sells Hungarian-built trainsets globally. Seeking further growth, MaVag identified the need for international strategic partnerships, finding a potential ally in the Spanish manufacturer. The board of directors of Talgo expressed favorability towards the offer from Ganz-Mavag Europe Plc. and emphasised its benefits for shareholders.
The chairman of the board of directors of Ganz-Mavag Europe Plc. stressed the importance of maintaining Talgo’s independence and technological prowess while committing to supporting its strategy as a Spanish-listed company. The chairman highlighted the shared goal of fostering European industrial development and sustainable mobility through strategic cooperation.
Spanish Transport Minister opposes the Hungarian bid
The recent developments in the Hungarian bid for the Talgo train factory include the Hungarian group’s agreement with Talgo’s creditors providing financial clearance. However, the Spanish Transport Minister Óscar Puente vows to reject the bid because of suspicions of Viktor Orbán‘s involvement and potential Russian connections within the Hungarian group, according to Telex.
The Spanish government led by Pedro Sánchez expressed scepticism towards Viktor Orbán’s involvement in the Hungarian bid for Talgo. The reason for the scepticism is fear of potential ties to Russian investors or the Hungarian state. Despite claims in Spanish business papers regarding the financial backing of the Hungarian group, data from Hungarian sources contradicts this information.
The Hungarian bidder must secure an agreement with Talgo’s lending banks to ensure financial stability as any change in ownership could prompt debt recall. However, political approval remains a necessity with documentation needing submission to Spain’s Ministry of Economy and subsequent review by the Foreign Investment Council. The recent statement from Minister Puente suggests a preemptive rejection of the bid by the Council of Ministers.
Is there a Russian connection?
The Hungarian group’s corporate registry revealed a Russian connection but the Russians sold their 50% stake in the company to MVBV Plc. after the start of the Ukrainian and Russian conflict. The other 50% owner is Cato Investments which is linked to András Tombor.
As of recently, the Hungarian state has acquired a 45% stake in the project company which oversees the acquisition of the Spanish train manufacturer for EUR 7,000, according to HVG. Moreover, a member of the National Capital Holding’s board is suspected of joining the project company’s supervisory board, which can lead to the growth of the Hungarian’s state influence over the company.
The majority shareholder of the company, the Hungarian Wagon Group, which was founded by the Minister of Defence Kristóf-Szalay-Bobrovniczky, is now owned by a private equity fund. This fund, which was formed through the government‘s privatisation of MÁV’s vehicle manufacturing and repair capacity, faces challenges in fulfilling significant orders from Egypt, which is also part of a partnership with Russia.
Read also:
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Hungarian foreign minister: time is on Russia’s side – HERE
In an interview with Le Monde, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Hungary “knows the consequences of occupation by a fascist regime”, but its messages to Ukraine are radical. He also said that the world should have put Putin in his place at the beginning of the war.
Zelensky: Most European leaders are on Ukraine’s side
President Volodymyr Zelensky said that 90% of European leaders are on Ukraine’s side, although opinions differ within societies. In an interview with Le Monde, he said that before Russia’s full-scale invasion, Europe was very ambivalent, but the invasion had united it around Ukraine. “Thanks to this support, Ukraine has been able to stop Russia,” the president said, according to Index’s coverage based on Unian.
However, Zelensky said that Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán sometimes “plays a very dangerous game”.
“This is particularly dangerous for Hungary itself. This country knows what invasion is, it knows the consequences of a fascist regime, and I am surprised that Budapest’s messages to Ukraine are radical. Playing games with Trump will not work either. He is an independent leader. Nobody likes having weak friends,” he added.
Europe made mistakes in dealing with Russia
The Ukrainian President believes that since the beginning of the war, Europe has made many mistakes in dealing with Russian aggression against Ukraine. For example, everyone has tried to “shake hands with Putin” to demonstrate that he can be appeased. “It all went wrong. There was not a strong enough position after the invasion of Crimea and the war in Donbass,” he said.
The world should’ve put Putin in his place.
Then after the aggression, everyone looked at America: ‘Are they going to impose sanctions?’ Europe and the United States should have taken the lead and imposed tough sanctions. In the end, the slowdown in arms deliveries means there is a risk of a third mistake: trying to divert world attention from Ukraine,” Zelensky warns.
Current situation on the front
In an interview with BFMTV and Le Monde, Zelensky also said that the situation on the Ukrainian front is better now than it has been for the last three months. “I can give you this fresh information: the situation has improved a lot compared to the last three months,” he said.
He admitted that the army was facing difficulties due to a lack of artillery ammunition, an air blockade, Russian long-range weapons and very heavy drone strikes. However, he said they have managed to halt the Russian advance, inflicting heavy losses on the attacker.
“It’s hard to be too positive today while the war is going on, we can only be positive when we end this war and there is a just peace and we win. But if we want to be realistic today, Russia’s advance has stopped,”
he said.
Responding to French President Emmanuel Macron’s call for Western troops to be sent to Ukraine, he said, “As long as Ukraine holds its ground, the French army can stay on French soil.”
Reality and an “ideological approach” to politics are “extremely far apart” in international politics today, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó told an event in Martonvásár, near Budapest, on Tuesday evening, adding that one example of this was an ongoing effort to “decouple the European and Chinese economies”.
Concerning the war in Ukraine, Szijjártó told a podium discussion that Europe was “suffering from war psychosis”, and some leaders “think they’re playing Fortnite, but this is reality where people are dying there’s massive destruction”.
He said that despite the “inflated liberal expectations”, it was certain that Russia could not be dealt a military defeat in this conflict, given that it is a nuclear power. But Ukraine cannot lose, either, he said, arguing that there would always be a big enough supply of weapons from the West to maintain the status quo.
“If neither side can win, then it’s clear that the whole thing will end with negotiation,” the minister said. “And if no one can win, and negotiations are needed, then the only question left is why not do it tomorrow? Why two weeks from now? Why three months from now? Why a year from now?”
“Each passing day in this war results in more death and destruction,” Szijjártó said, adding that this made the call for an urgent ceasefire and peace talks the only morally acceptable position.
Here is Hungary’s opinion about sending Western troops to Ukraine
He said Europe today was “incapable of creating these conditions”, so an agreement between the United States and Russia was needed. But this, he said, was “also impossible under the current administration in Washington”, adding that it meant that change would be needed in the US’ leadership.
Concerning French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent remarks, Szijjártó warned that sending Western troops to Ukraine would seriously violate the “red line” established by NATO that it was not party to the conflict. “However, given the changes in Europe’s position, this can’t be fully ruled out,” he added.
As regards the conflict in the Middle East, he said the number one objective was to prevent an escalation of the conflict, as this would lead to a regional war.
The United State puts constant pressure onto Hungary
He said a political change in Washington could resolve this crisis as well, noting that “after decades of failures”, the Abraham Accords brokered under Donald Trump’s presidency had resurrected the hope for peace.
He said there were many similarities between the political positions of Trump and the Hungarian government, such as their views on the family and handling of migration.
Meanwhile, Szijjártó praised the government’s policy of opening to the East, underlining that despite the political efforts to decouple the European and Chinese economies, it was clear that many Western companies have become fully dependent on Chinese suppliers in sectors like the auto industry, among others.
When speaking about “a distance between reality and political propaganda”, Szijjártó said in an example that “the United States puts constant pressure onto Hungary to stop its nuclear cooperation with Russia while Russia became the largest Uranium supplier of the US last year. US firms, Szijjártó noted, are also participating in the upgrade of Hungary’s nuclear plant in Paks.
Speaking about the upcoming European Parliament elections and its significance, Szijjártó said that parties with a rationality-based, conservative and patriotic agenda endorsing national interests and sovereignty would need to have a strong showing in order for “turning negative developments around”.
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What is going on in the US? Intelligence methods used to entrap critics of Viktor Orbán – Read more HERE
The first concrete foundation piles for the Paks nuclear power plant expansion will be set into the ground by the end of the year, Péter Szijjártó said on Tuesday.
A ministry statement quoted the foreign minister as saying at a joint press conference with Alexei Likhachev, head of the Russian nuclear energy company Rosatom, that an equally important milestone is the completion of the first melt trap produced in Russia.
The 700-tonne melt trap is scheduled to be delivered in the autumn, while production of the reactor tank will start in April, he said.
Work on soil consolidation across 17 hectares is underway, with 8,000 out of 75,000 piles already in place. A German company is carrying out this work, which is scheduled to be completed by next summer.
Szijjártó said the project was “progressing at a good steady pace,” and it was achievable for the two new blocks to be hooked up to the grid by the start of the next decade, he said.
The minister added that the Paks expansion was “a real international” project involving German, French, Austrian, Swedish, and American subcontractors.
Hungary’s diplomacy met the government’s expectations last year: Hungary managed to stay out of the war in Ukraine and maintained its energy cooperation with Russia, the foreign minister said in a panel discussion at the National Public Service University on Monday.
The foreign ministry quoted Péter Szijjártó as saying that “the government is to ensure that no foreign policy decision, move, or statement should jeopardise Hungary in the midst of the war in the neighbourhood, nor lead to an escalation of that war.”
“Moreover, we must turn every stone so that the war is over as soon as possible and there are as few casualties and as little destruction as possible,” he said. While “Hungary is a good and reliable partner in the European Union and in NATO, we need to maintain a cooperation with Russia that serves national interests,” he added.
Szijjártó said he had been criticised by many for maintaining ties with Russia. He said,
“I am the foreign minister, and in diplomacy, the difficult task is not to meet partners you agree with on important matters but to maintain ties with those whom we do not see eye to eye on some cardinal issues but with whom cooperation serves national interests.”
Concerning the war in Ukraine, Szijjártó said “the global majority” wanted peace, while Europe’s leaders “make considerations in line with the perceptions dictated by the media rather than considering reality”. The situation could change, however, if Donald Trump won the US presidential elections this autumn because if that happens, “the world’s number one superpower will start speaking the language peace, too,” he said.
On the subject of the EU’s enlargement in the Western Balkans, Szijjártó said, “The illusion that the 27 member states have a serious support for enlargement should be given up. The declarations made behind closed doors are completely different from public ones.”
He regretted that Europe’s competitiveness was “plummeting” and called for “something that lends us momentum, freshness, ambitions, new energy. and it will not come from inside but from outside.” He insisted that “other powers” than the EU were trying to increase their influence in the Western Balkans and said “if the others prove faster than us, we will be left crying in the end.”
Adhering to the same conservative values could further strengthen cooperation between the Hungarian prime minister and Donald Trump, Zoltán Kovács, state secretary for international communication and relations, said on Monday, after Viktor Orbán meets with the former US president and Republican presidential candidate, in Florida on the weekend.
Those shared values include their commitment to peace, their approach to migration and the LGBTQ issue, the “sanctity of the family”, and their economic policy, Kovács told public news channel M1 on Monday morning.
He said Trump had proven as president that he was “the president of peace,” who, if elected, would urge peaceful solutions to the wars and conflicts.
Concerning the war in Ukraine, Kovács noted that Trump, just like the Hungarian government, had been an advocate for peace ever since the war broke out with Russia.
Commenting on incumbent US President Joe Biden’s remark that Trump was meeting a politician who “doesn’t think democracy works,” Kovács noted that Hungarian-US relations “work well”, adding that economic cooperation, Hungary’s commitment and its performance of responsibilities as a NATO member were “flawless”.
“The [current] ideology-driven US administration does not respect the opinion and the will of the Hungarian people,” he said.
Speaking to public broadcaster Kossuth Radio’s morning programme, Kovács said that “as Hungary is in the fourteenth year of a model change, the country now gets a lot more attention in the international press and in the United States”. Commenting on the Hungarian prime minister’s meeting with Donald Trump in Mar-a-Lago on Friday, Kovács said “the quality of personal relationships is highly important in politics”. Details HERE: Orbán and Trump: peacemakers meeting in Mar-a-Lago, Florida – PHOTOS, VIDEO
read also: Would the majority of Hungarians be happy if Trump won? – Survey
