Croatia to pay dollar millions in compensation to Hungary
The state of Croatia will pay Hungarian oil and gas company MOL 235 million US dollars rendered in an arbitration case at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), Minister for Economy and Sustainable Development Davor Filipović said on Croatian public television late Wednesday.
MOL had filed a request for arbitration against the government of Croatia in 2013 for breach of contract related to agreements concerning the country’s energy company INA signed in 2009. MOL has a 49 percent stake in INA but holds management rights in the company. The state of Croatia owns close to 45 percent of INA.
Filipović said the government has already earmarked the award in the budget. Croatia surrendered jurisdiction over the agreement between MOL and the government of Croatia in 2003, allowing only international arbitration courts to decide on the matter, he said.
This is why fuel in Hungary is the most expensive in the region
Since the price freeze was removed in Hungary, the cost of fuel has skyrocketed in the country. It has now become so expensive to fill up at local petrol stations that no other neighbouring country beats Hungary for that matter.
Portfolio.hu decided to examine what exactly led to this. In their detailed analysis, they came to the following conclusions.
Retail price comparison
The news site used the retail prices in Croatia and Austria as an example to compare prices. The trend in Hungarian fuel pricing shows that prices rose at roughly the same rate in all three countries until the Hungarian government decided to introduce a price freeze at the end of 2021. However, as soon as lorries were excluded from the price freeze, the price of gas oil started to rise steadily. Thus, the retail price of gas oil has now reached almost EUR 1.8, the equivalent of the Austrian price. In Croatia, the retail price of diesel is currently EUR 1.6.
In December 2022, the price freeze was lifted entirely, resulting in a spike in the price of petrol. In comparison, the price of petrol in Hungary has now reached the same level as Austrian petrol. Meanwhile, the retail price of petrol in Croatia is currently around EUR 1.4.
The taxes
Looking at the changes in oil prices over the last two years, it can be seen that the government has reduced the excise duty on fuels in two stages. This has made room for maneuvering on prices but still brought no benefit for market participants, only less financial loss. It is also clear that prices after tax deduction rose sharply following the lift of the price freeze in Hungary, compared to other countries.
In addition, it is important to underline that the differences are not only due to the fact that petrol stations have now started to make up for what they have lost due to the price freeze. The Hungarian market still needs a lot of time to recover from the shock of the price freeze.
It is also worth noting that among the taxes on fuel, the excise duty is not high compared to EU standards. While the minimum level of excise duty on petrol is EUR 0.359, the Hungarian state collects only EUR 0.31 at current exchange rates. The excise duty on gas oil is also lower in Hungary. The minimum level of excise duty on gas oil is EUR 0.33. In contrast, the state collects the equivalent of EUR 0.28 at current exchange rates. Moreover, tax reductions have also been made. The tax on petrol has been reduced from HUF 120 per litre to HUF 115 (EUR 0.29) and then to HUF 95 (EUR 0.24). At the same time, the tax on gas oil has been reduced from HUF 110.35 (EUR 0.28) to HUF 105.35 (EUR 0.27) and then to HUF 85.35 (EUR 0.22).
Read alsoSignificant price hikes expected at Lake Balaton this summer
Croatian President: Brussels is terrorising Hungary
“Brussels is terrorising Hungary, but I’m happy to go there and talk to people who are not the enemy,’ Croatian President Zoran Milanović told journalists on Thursday. He added that Hungary has never attacked Croatia, which cannot be said of other neighbours.
The Croatian President in Budapest
Croatian President Zoran Milanović travelled to Budapest at the invitation of Hungarian President Katalin Novák. He was received by his Hungarian counterpart at the Sándor Palace on Friday, napi.hu reports.
According to the Croatian President’s Office, Zoran Milanović is also expected to meet with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, representatives of the Croatian community in Hungary. He will also visit the Croatian Kindergarten, Primary School, Secondary School and Student Home (Horvát Óvoda, Általános Iskola, Gimnázium és Kollégium, HOSIG) in Budapest.
Good neighbours for ages
According to the politician, although they have different political views, this does not change the fact that the two countries have been good neighbours for a long time. “We disagree on some ideological issues, but it turned out that I was one of the few people who dared to go there,” said Zoran Milanović.
“Hungarian politics is different, but these democrats are terrorising them terribly”, the Croatian president said, referring to Brussels.
Read alsoThe US ambassador in Budapest slams Hungarian government for helping Russian oligarchs
PHOTOS: Hungary’s president welcomes Croatian EURO on talks with Croatian counterpart
Croatia and Hungary, two countries in central Europe, could help the European Union become stronger, President Katalin Novák told an international press conference held with Zoran Milanovic, her Croatian counterpart, in Budapest on Friday.
Their talks earlier in the day focused on the war in Ukraine, the fight against illegal migration, European integration of the Western Balkans, efforts to promote infrastructure and energy cooperation, the demographic crisis, and issues around ethnic minorities, she noted. Novák said Hungary welcomed Croatia’s accession to the Schengen zone and its recent introduction of the euro, and highlighted the importance of bilateral trade ties and tourism. She said in 2022 over 600,000 Hungarian tourists had visited Croatia, adding that bilateral trade were growing fast, with Croatia being Hungary’s third largest foreign trading partner and Hungary being Croatia’s fourth.
Novák noted that it was Milanovic’s first official visit to Hungary, adding that “the Croatian president’s courageous stance could help a lot to clear the vision of European leaders”. At their talks, Novák and Milanovic condemned Russia’s aggression against Ukraine and voiced support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and independence, and for endeavours to achieve peace.
Novák thanked her guest for Croatia’s support for Hungarians living in the country. Concerning energy cooperation, she said Hungary was relying on Crotia’s key role in diversifying energy supplies to Hungary.
Here are some photos of their meeting:
Answering a question on another subject, Novák said curbing the rights of ethnic Hungarians in Ukraine’s Transcarpathia region was unacceptable “even without the current war”. Ukraine’s law on ethnic minorities in its current form is “not acceptable” for Hungary because “it poses difficulties for Transcarpathia Hungarians”. Novák said she had sent a letter to the Ukrainian president on the subject of the Ukrainian law on minorities.
Milanovic said bilateral ties were good and the two countries were in agreement concerning most issues. He noted Hungary and Croatia’s being neighbours for over a thousand years and said “they have never had really serious conflicts”. Concerning the EU, Milanovic said each country should have the right to “settle their own issues in their own manner”. He said he supported “the rule of law rather than the rule of power”. The EU should accept the existing differences between its members, he added. Croatia does not support the concept of a United States of Europe, Milanovic said. He said Croatia had not joined the EU “to become a small screw in a large machinery”, adding that his country wanted to preserve its openness.
Referring to an earlier remark in which Milanovic had suggested that Brussels was “terrorising” Hungary, he said it was “the acutest of problems” when “financial assistance is awarded without clear criteria, using the might is right principle”. Hungary’s ruling Fidesz “has its own policy and no matter how right-wing it is, it is European”, he said. “Punishing a political community or accusing a nation is unacceptable,” he said.
Milanovic welcomed his country’s joining the Schengen zone and that border controls were lifted at its border with Hungary, adding that those controls would be introduced at Croatia’s southern border. On another subject, Milanovic said that the European sanctions against Russia were “not working and causing a huge problem”. The question, he said, was “how much damage are we doing to ourselves?” Concerning the Ukraine war, Milanovic said that “Washington and Moscow should talk”.
Orbán holds talks with Croatian president
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán held talks with Zoran Milanovic, the Croatian president, in Budapest on Friday, Orbán’s press chief said. Orbán met his guest at the House of Music and they were shown around in the multi-award winning facility by András Batta, its director, said Bertalan Havasi. After the visit, the two politicians discussed bilateral relations and topical international affairs at a working dinner, he said.
Hungarians’ favourite holiday resort now only accepts euro
Croatia joined the eurozone on 1 January. After a two-week transition period, from Sunday, only euro payments will be possible in the country, the Croatian daily Vecernji List reports. Since Croatia is very popular among Hungarians, this will affect them as well.
Based on the practice of countries that have adopted the euro as their national currency, the Croatian National Bank (Hrvatska narodna banka, HNB) expects that 1.1 billion pieces of metallic currency and 500 million banknotes will be exchanged by citizens during the specified period, Portfolio writes.
Plenty of kuna left
They added that the kuna coins weigh the equivalent of 124 Zagreb trams, or 5,600 tonnes, while the banknotes, if stacked on top of each other, would form a column 50 kilometres high, six times higher than Mount Everest.
Until the end of 2023, banks and other financial institutions will exchange the kuna free of charge at the predetermined exchange rate. After 2023, it can only be exchanged at the central bank. Banknotes can be redeemed indefinitely, but metallic coins only for the next three years.
Read alsoBudapest taxi drivers would raise their prices by another 19 percent
Hungarians are flocking abroad to buy fuel
As Hungary has the most expensive fuel in the region, many Hungarians, especially those living near the border, go abroad to fill up their cars. In many cases, they fill not only their cars but also their jerry cans with fuel before coming home. Croatian public TV reported that Hungarian customers have been flooding the border petrol stations since the lifting of the fuel price cap in early December.
Hungary has the most expensive fuel in the region
After the abolition of the fuel price cap, it was clear that from then on, it will be cheaper to fill up abroad than in Hungary. Based on data from the transport portal Cargopedia, Index compiled a list of foreign fuel prices on 7 December. Right now, Hungary’s fuel is still more expensive than that of Austria, Croatia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine – that is, every single one of our neighbours.
Among these countries, we can find the cheapest fuel in Ukraine. There, one litre of 95 petrol costs EUR 1.34, while one litre of diesel costs EUR 1.42. Among our neighbours, the most expensive fuel is in Croatia. There, you have to pay EUR 1.52 for a litre of 95 petrol and EUR 1.69 for a litre of diesel. This is still EUR 0.07 and EUR 0.1 more than in Hungary. Domestically, one litre of 95 petrol costs EUR 1.59 and one litre of diesel costs EUR 1.8. These are astonishing differences. Thus, it is no wonder that people started going abroad to fill up their vehicle’s fuel tank.
Hungarians are flooding abroad
According to Croatian public television, large queues formed on Saturday at Donji Miholjac, south of the border crossing at Drávaszabolcs, with almost all cars coming from Hungary. According to the report, Hungarians not only fill up their cars, but also take oil cans with them and fill them up, Index writes. One of the customers from Pécs told Croatian reporters that because of the high fuel prices in Hungary, they save the equivalent of about EUR 50 (a little less than HUF 20,000) by going to Donji Miholjac to fill up. “I can save almost one euro for every three litres of fuel I buy,” another resident of Pécs said.
It’s not only fuel they buy in Croatia
The Croatian public TV report also noted that Hungarians not only buy fuel in Donji Miholjac, but also buy a lot of things in supermarkets. They mostly purchase vegetables, meat and household products
like toilet paper, washing powder, flushing powder. All of these are much cheaper in Croatia than in Hungary.
The news programme also noted that since Croatia joined the Schengen area on 1 January, it is much easier to cross the border. The Croatian reporters crossed the border into Harkány as well. They said they could not find a single car with Croatian plates there, even though in the 1990s and 2000s many people from Croatia used to go there to buy things.
The golden age of mass Croatian shopping in Hungary is long over, the report noted. The pointed out that the only things worth buying in Hungary today are beer, a few soft drinks and meat products, and clothes.
Read alsoHow long will food prices rise in Hungary? Here is the answer
The earthquake in Croatia was also felt in Hungary
A 3.4 magnitude earthquake shook northeastern Croatia in the early hours of Thursday. The earthquake was also felt in Hungary.
The epicentre of the earthquake was located a few kilometres from Beli Manastir, with the earthquake’s epicentre at a depth of 10 kilometres. The earthquake was felt throughout the entire region of Drávaköz (Baranjska lesna), but also in Baranya County in Hungary and in the region of Vojvodina, in Serbia. No casualties or serious damage have been reported so far.
Read alsoVIDEO: Police closed down Budapest’s emblematic Margaret Island!
This European country is very popular among Hungarian tourists
The number of Hungarians visiting Croatia in 2022 was up by 31 percent compared to the previous year, the head of the Budapest representation of Croatia’s tourism association said on Wednesday.
Ivana Herceg said 602,000 Hungarians had spent 3 million guest nights in her country last year, adding that the figures were comparable to those of the 2019 “record year”.
The most popular destinations among Hungarians included the Kvarner gulf, the Istrian peninsula, and the Split-Dalmatian area, she said.
Herceg noted that Croatia had switched to the euro on January 1, but added that kunas, the country’s previous currency, would be accepted until January 14. Concerning Croatia’s joining the Schengen border regime on January 1, she said that border control at crossing points with Slovenia, Hungary, and Italy had been lifted. At Croatia’s international airports, however, the documents of passengers from other Schengen countries would continue to be checked until March 26, she added.
Read alsoThousands of Hungarians to use the euro instead of their old currency from 1 January
Thousands of Hungarians to use the euro instead of their old currency from 1 January
From time to time, experts raise the question of introducing the euro in Hungary instead of using the forint. Recently, when HUF reached historic lows against the EUR, USD, or CHF, it seemed that they were right. Now thousands of Hungarians will use the euro instead of their old currency from 1 January. And they are not the only Hungarians, who live on the territory of their ancestors and are already using the EUR. Below you may read the details.
Croatia is to introduce the euro instead of the Croatian kuna from 1 January. The Croatian national currency has been in use since 1994 when the period of transition from the Croatian dinar was introduced in 1991, the year Croatia’s war for independence ended.
Croatia is the 20th country to join the eurozone. Croatia and the council of the eurozone countries signed the relevant agreements in July.
The exchange rate between the HRK and the EUR will be 7.5345, Ecofin stated. Prices have been displayed in HRK and EUR from 5 September until the end-2023. The eurozone extended earlier with Lithuania in 2015. In mid-November, the European Commission stated that Croatia was ready to join the Schengen area, which they join on 1 January, 444.hu wrote.
On the 2011 census, more than 14,000 Croatian citizens said they were of Hungarian nationality. The historic Hungarian ethnic communities live in Croatia’s northeastern regions, in some old Hungarian villages dating back to the Árpád-era, for example, Vörösmart and Szentlászló. There, the Hungarians will use the euro from next year.
And they are not the only Hungarians living in the territory of their ancestors and using the euro. Austria has been using the euro since its official introduction on 1 January 1999. Tens of thousands of Hungarians are working in Austria, but they are not part of the historic Hungarian community living in the westernmost part of the late Kingdom of Hungary. Those Hungarians are only a couple of thousand near the Hungarian-Austrian border. Based on the latest census, their number does not reach 4,000.
Slovakia introduced the euro on 1 January 2009. There are at least 450,000 Hungarians living currently. Thus, they have been using the euro for more than a decade.
From time to time, experts raise the issue of introducing the euro in Hungary. The Orbán government is against the idea, and some economists keep stressing that Budapest could not fulfil the requirements of replacing the forint with the euro.
Croats are abusing the war situation and Hungary’s energy security vulnerability, says foreign minister
Instead of dealing with pressing energy issues such as the search for new energy resources and the development of infrastructure, the European Union has wasted time in the last few months on moves to cap the price of gas, Péter Szijjártó, the foreign minister, said in Brussels on Monday.
After a meeting of EU energy ministers, Szijjártó said Hungary completely rejects introducing a “harmful, dangerous and totally needless” price cap, a ministry statement said.
The bloc is acting on facts that were relevant in August, but Europe has managed well without the price cap in the meantime, the minister said, adding that the cap risked bumping up prices if less gas is available as a result or if the cap’s threshold is above current market prices.
Szijjártó said this kind of market intervention was “dangerous and irresponsible”, and he called for a thorough preliminary investigation before any action is taken.
He called for an increase in the amount of gas but this, he said, required improvements to infrastructure, adding that there was little point in adding LNG ports in various parts of Europe if the pipeline network was insufficient.
In a “test vote” on the proposal to cap the gas price, 9 member states including Hungary voted against, but this was not enough to form a blocking minority, he noted.
Read alsoTurns out Hungarians really did overuse gas because it was cheap
“However many voting rounds there may be today, Hungary will vote no,”
he said, referring to today’s meeting of EU energy ministers. “Pipelines must be built, LNG ports must be built, and new resources found,” he said.
On the subject of central Europe’s supplies of crude oil, he noted that 19 million tonnes of Russian crude is delivered to Hungary, Slovakia and Czechia each year through the Druzhba pipeline. The only alternative route, the Adria pipeline, carries only 12 million tonnes annually, Szijjato said. “This has been common knowledge for at least half a year, yet nothing has been done to expand it,” he said, calling it a “huge mistake” on the part of the European Union.
Meanwhile, the minister said Croatia had made an “unfair” offer when it came to extending Hungarian oil and gas company MOL’s contract which expires at the end of the year, noting that the transit fee would balloon by 80 percent.
He accused
the Croats of “abusing” the war situation and their monopoly, as well as the energy security vulnerabilities of Hungary and Czechia.
Hungary has turned to the European Commission on creating a proposal on ensuring that prices related to routes necessitated by the war should not exceed the European average, he said.
Read alsoHungarian minister outraged: Croatia to increase oil transit price brutally in 2023
Hungarian minister outraged: Croatia to increase oil transit price brutally in 2023
Foreign minister Péter Szijjártó was the guest of the Spirit FM’s Harcosok klubja (Fighters’ Club) and talked about a recent Croatian decision concerning the Adria oil pipeline (Trans Adriatic Pipeline – TAP). He said that the Croatians would like to increase the transit price of crude oil 2.5 times from 2023 which is unacceptable for Hungary. Therefore, they reported the issue to the European Union and would like the European Commission to act in favour of the oil buyers: Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary.
Mr Szijjártó said that the TAP pipeline through Croatia was Hungary’s sole crude oil source provided Russian oil deliveries through Ukraine on the Druzhba pipeline came to a halt. And that can happen because of the ongoing war in Ukraine, during which the Russian invaders have been intentionally attacking the Ukrainian energy network for weeks. The Hungarian foreign minister argued that under such circumstances, no country should take advantage of import-dependent states like Hungary, ATV wrote.
However, Croatia means to increase the transit price of the crude oil coming through their TAP from 2023 concerning the Czech, Slovak and Hungarian imports. Therefore, the Hungarian government wants the European Commission to act swiftly and make the Croatians drop that idea. Instead, Szijjártó would like the Croatians to increase the capacity of the TAP because, currently, it cannot to supply the three Central European countries. Furthermore, there will be a meeting of EU ministers responsible for energy issues in Brussels. Szijjártó would like to include the Croatian transit price increase in the agenda.
Energy emergency board discusses supply situation, prospects
The operative board handling the energy emergency on Friday discussed the situation of Hungary’s energy supplies and related prospects and import options, the energy ministry said.
The board set up by the government in the summer also reviewed topical issues in the energy industry under the helm of Energy Minister Csaba Lantos, the ministry said in a statement. The operative board’s tasks will continue to be to work towards ensuring the protection of utility price cuts, securing energy supplies for the country and protecting Hungarian families, the ministry said.
No more border control at the Croatian-Hungarian border from 2023 – here is why
Romania and Bulgaria have been working hard to protect their borders and have done a lot to rein in illegal migration, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Facebook on Friday, adding that the two countries should have been allowed to join the European Union’s Schengen zone.
Referring to a Thursday vote in the European Parliament, Szijjártó said that Croatia had been granted Schengen status, while Romania and Bulgaria were rejected “whereas both were deserving”.
Szijjártó insisted that their rejection was due to a veto by Austria and the Netherlands, while “everybody else was in support”. He regretted that “wailing journalists of the liberal mainstream, Brussels bureaucrats, and ministers of liberal governments” were silent, whereas all new positions presented by the Hungarian government were met with “clamourous” criticism.
“If a central European country uses their veto, that is the end of the world and destroying European unity, while a veto by western Europeans is okay,” he said.
Advent train service from Hungary to Vienna or Zagreb
From Hungary, you can travel to two neighbouring capitals, Vienna and Zagreb, over the Christmas period.
Four Advent EuroCity journeys to Vienna, the Austrian capital, are available on 26 November, 3 December, 1 December and 17 December. The trains depart from Keleti Station, according to the MÁV website.
Read alsoEverything you need to know about the Budapest Christmas fairs – PHOTOS
The departure time is 8:01 am. Stops include Tatabánya, Komárom and Győr. The return train from Vienna departs at 6:04 pm, so passengers can make it back to Budapest by 9:00 pm. Tickets for trains in Hungary are compulsory and cost between EUR 5 for children and EUR 17 to 29 for adults, depending on the booking.
The Zagreb Advent Express to Croatia used to be very popular before the pandemic between 2016 and 2018, according to sokszinuvidek.24.hu.
The special Advent train will now depart from Pécs to the Croatian capital at 6:17 am on 3 December. In Zagreb, you can spend 6 hours before the train returns.
The trains will run with dining cars, where passengers can enjoy a Christmas menu and mulled wine. Tickets cost EUR 31 for adults.
Read alsoBudapest’s Christmas market among the world’s 50 best!
PM Orbán in Greater Hungary scarf: Romanian government outraged
Hungary played a friendly match with Greece in Budapest on Sunday evening. PM Viktor Orbán has always been a great football fan, so he watched the duel in the stadium. The game was also Balázs Dzsudzsák’s last one. Therefore, Mr Dzsudzsák met the prime minister in the VIP lounge to give the T-shirt he wore in the first half to the prime minister and the T-shirt he wore the second half to Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s foreign minister. However, the fan scarf PM Orbán had around his neck shocked the Romanian government.
The Romanian foreign ministry expressed their disapproval of PM Viktor Orbán’s gesture of wearing a fan scarf having the map of Greater Hungary on it, transtelex.ro, the Romanian partner news website of telex.hu, wrote yesterday evening. PM Orbán wore the scarf after the friendly contest between the Hungarian and Greek football teams in Budapest last Sunday, a video uploaded on the prime minister’s official Facebook page shows.
In the video, Balázs Dzsudzsák arrives at the VIP lounge after the Hungarian victory and distributes his T-shirts to the prime minister and Hungary’s foreign minister. The match marked Dzsdzsák’s 109th in the national team and the last in the Hungarian footballer’s professional career.
One cannot be mistaken if he watches the video: PM Orbán wears a scarf on which the borders of Greater Hungary (the Kingdom of Hungary) are depictable easily. Otherwise, the scarf is quite regular. The inscription on it is the first line of the national anthem: “Isten áldd meg a magyart…” (the poetic English translation from Wikipedia goes as “O, my God, the Magyar bless”).
Read alsoForeign minister: we are maintaining the Hungarian-Romanian strategic partnership
However, Romania was outraged, and its foreign ministry sent a “determined disapproval” to Hungary’s ambassador in Bucharest. They said the gesture of the Hungarian prime minister contradicted the openness he and the foreign minister showed during the Romanian foreign minister’s official visit to Budapest. The talks then aimed to restart bilateral discussions, transtelex.hu wrote.
Romania’s diplomacy highlighted all forms of revisionism were unacceptable because they contradict reality. That is a consolidated language meaning Transylvania, Partium, and other former Hungarian territories are inseparable parts of Romania. Nobody should ever question that, the political leadership of Romania believes regardless their party affiliation.
The Ukrainian foreign spokesman, Oleg Nikolenko, posted on Facebook that they would summon Hungary’s ambassador in Kyiv because of Orbán’s scarf. He added promoting revisionism does not support the development of the Hungarian-Ukrainian relationship, 24.hu wrote.
Interestingly, the Croatian president was not outraged after watching the video. “I can only laugh at that. Among the neighbouring countries, Hungary is still the best”, Zoran Milanovic told journalists about the incident.
The Croatian prime minister has not even watched the video yet. He cleared he did not want to deal with other people’s scarves. Concerning territorial claims against Croatia, he called them unacceptable and not an option, index.hu said.
Here you may check out the video:
Gasoline price to grow significantly from Wednesday in Hungary
The market price of gasoline will increase significantly in Hungary from tomorrow, while we will have to pay less for diesel. Of course, those entitled to buy government-funded price-capped fuel continue to pay HUF 480 per litre (EUR 1.2/l).
According to mfor.hu, the cost of gasoline and diesel will change significantly from Wednesday, having a considerable effect on the fuel market price. Gasoline prices will grow by HUF 18 (EUR 0.045), while we will have to pay HUF 10 (EUR 0.025) less for diesel from Wednesday.
From Wednesday, we will pay the following market prices at the Hungarian petrol stations:
- Gasoline 95: HUF 697 per litre (EUR 1.74/l)
- Diesel: HUF 786 per litre (EUR 1.96/l)
Those who privately own cars with Hungarian license plates can buy fuel for a capped price. That stands at HUF 480 HUF per litre, which is now EUR 1.2/l, one of the best fuel prices in Europe. The 4th Orbán government introduced the measure in March. Many thought it would last only until the April general elections, but it remained, just like the food price caps, which the government plans to extend soon.
Read alsoFuel price at historic high in Hungary, MOL introduces 36% increase
Portfolio.hu wrote that many Hungarians filled up their company cars in Croatia because the fuel was cheaper there. Based on a report of the ATV, they can save HUF 140 per litre (EUR 0.35) in the case of gasoline and HUF 90 (EUR 0.22) on each litre of diesel. Furthermore, if the Hungarian national currency gets stronger that gap widens, and the “profit” of the Hungarians grows. And the forint has strengthened in the last few days considerably. After standing even at 430/EUR two weeks earlier, today it opened at 400/EUR.
A Croatian petrol station attendant told ATV that, in Croatia, there were no fuel price caps but Hungarians kept going to the local filling stations. The only exceptions were the diesel trucks. In that case, it was more worth filling the tanks in Hungary because the companies were entitled to reclaim the VAT.
Featured image: illustration
Read alsoHungarian entrepreneurs swarm Croatian gas stations due to cheaper petrol
Defence minister: Hungary, Croatia defence relations ‘excellent’
Defence relations between Hungary and Croatia are excellent, Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky said on Thursday, after meeting Mario Banožić, his Croatian counterpart, in Budapest.
The Hungarian minister called the Headquarters Multinational Division-Centre (HQ MND-C) the two countries had set up in Székesfehérvár, in western Hungary, in 2020, a key element in that cooperation. He noted that Slovakia had joined the HQ MND-C as a “framework nation” in 2021.
Szalay-Bobrovniczky called the three countries a key for NATO’s military command in the region, saying “we know our region best, it is the three nations through which NATO can promote its military interests and command defence operations”.
The Hungarian minister noted that after the outbreak of war in Ukraine NATO had set up a combat unit in Hungary to strengthen its eastern flank. The unit includes 80 Croatian soldiers, of whom 60 are participating in the ongoing Brave Warrior 2022 military exercise at Várpalota which the two ministers would inspect.
Szalay-Bobrovniczky said they also discussed the security of the Western Balkan region and were in agreement that the EU’s ALTHEA E operation was key in that. They also agreed that illegal migration was an increasing threat to Europe’s security.
He said they explored cooperation possibilities in a further development of the two countries’ defence industry. Banožić said that Hungary and Croatia as neighbours, EU members and responsible NATO allies face several common challenges and share many interests. He called defence cooperation an important part of bilateral ties. “Our cooperation in NATO missions demonstrate our common commitment towards strengthening collective defence,” he said.
Read alsoCabinet briefing: the Hungarian government announced new decisions
Wizz Air plane escaped Ukraine!
Multiple Wizz Air planes remained stuck in Ukraine after Russia started its invasion of the country. It seems one of them could escape on Tuesday. Below, you may read the details.
József Váradi, the CEO of the Hungarian low-cost airline, confirmed in May that Wizz Air had four planes in the war-torn country. In May, all of them were undamaged. One was in Lviv, while three were in Kyiv.
Based on the latest information, the one in Kyiv, an Airbus A320, could escape and was flew to Katowice, Poland, Index.hu reported. The company has been working since the beginning of the Russian invasion to get out its stuck planes. Reportedly, they are still undamaged. However, the aircrafts must be scanned, and need the permission of the Ukrainian authorities.
Meanwhile, you can book some tickets for next summer to some popular destinations for an affordable price on Wizz’s website. You may find Utazómajom’s list at the bottom of THIS article.
Number of Hungarian tourists in Croatia up 27 percent
The number of Hungarian tourists visiting Croatia has gone up by 27 percent to 522,300 in the first eight months this year compared with the same period in 2021, the director of the Croatian tourism community’s representation in Hungary said on Friday.
Hungarian tourists spent 2,732,000 guest nights in the neighbouring country during the period, Ivana Herceg told a press conference in Budapest. In the record year of 2019, some 568,700 Hungarians visited Croatia to spend 2,952,000 guest nights there in the first eight months, she said. The most popular destinations were Kvarner Bay, followed by the regions of Istria, Zadar, Split and Sibenik, she said. The city of Crikvenica, the island of Vir and the city of Rovinj were also among the top destinations.
According to earlier statistics, some 644,000 Hungarians visited Croatia in the full year of 2019.
Read alsoExhausted Viktor Orbán spends a three-week vacation at the Adriatic
Hungarian entrepreneurs swarm Croatian gas stations due to cheaper petrol
From today diesel is HUF 200 (EUR 0.49) cheaper in Croatia than in Hungary. That is because the government excluded business cars from its fuel price cap scheme introduced shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Though many experts thought it was just a welfare measure before the 2022 general elections, the petrol price cap remains in effect until at least 1 October. However, only for individuals having a car with Hungarian licence plates.
Those eligible to buy petrol in Hungary for the capped price must pay only 480 HUF/l (1.19 EUR/l) for gasoline and diesel. Meanwhile, that sum is currently 686.9 HUF/l (1.70 EUR/l) in the case of gasoline 95 for foreign individuals and Hungarian business cars. If you want to buy diesel, you must pay 823.9 HUF/l (2.04 EUR/l) from today, index.hu reported.
A growing number of Hungarian entrepreneurs living near the Hungarian border buy petrol in neighbouring countries. For example, Hungarian entrepreneurs buying diesel in Croatia may save 14,000 HUF (35 EUR) on each refuelling. Many Hungarian driving schools fill their fuel containers in Croatia, hvg.hu said.
ATV reporting on the issue, said they managed to buy Croatian kuna (HRK) for HUF 53 (EUR 0.13), so they could buy fuel for 11 HRK/l, which was less than 600 HUF/l (1.48 EUR/l). A worker in the petrol station said a lot of people arrived from Hungary recently.
Hvg.hu said that the diesel would cost 200 HUF/l (0.49 EUR/l) less on the other side of the Hungarian border from today since in Hungary, its price would increase again by 30 HUF/l (0.074 EUR/l). László Varga, a Hungarian business-owner living close to the Hungarian-Croatian border, said that he would save more than 14,000 HUF on each refuelling from today, calculating with a tank of 70 l.
Furthermore, if he buys vegetables, fruits and meat in Croatia, and the number of excise products the Hungarian laws enable, he can save up to HUF 25,000 HUF (EUR 62) at each turn.
New business option on the horizon for street-smart Hungarians living close to the borders?
