PM: Hungary Won't Follow EU’s Gas Reduction Plan

Viktor Orban, Hungarian Prime Minister, announced during his meeting with Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer in Vienna that Budapest will not follow the plan proposed by the EU regarding the reduction of gas consumption by 15 percent. The Prime Minister explained that Hungary determines its own energy policy.

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Orban continued to say that all attempts by Brussels to interfere with this “will not find favor with the Hungarians.” The comments came in light of the announcement made by the European Council, earlier this week in anticipation of a cutoff in supply from Russia on the measures to reduce their gas demand by 15 percent until the winter.

Budapest was the only EU member state to oppose the voluntary plan, which could turn mandatory if the bloc declares a state of emergency. The Hungarian side said it was “simply impossible” to go without Russian energy. In addition, last Thursday, Hungary's Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto went on a business trip to Moscow to for negotiating the purchase of 700 million extra cubic meters of Russian gas.

“Our people don’t like that kind of thing,” said the Hungarian top official making an allusion to the EU proposal. "If Brussels has a say in what to do with our own energy, regardless of Brussels' good intentions or bad intentions, it will not find favor with the Hungarians.” He added that would make an effort to “convince Brussels to create a strategy that is good for the Ukrainians, the EU, and EU households.”

According to Orban, Brussel's implementation of energy reduction means that the continent is moving toward a “wartime economy.” He added that until peace is not reached, Ukraine "will not be able to solve any problems, there will be no energy, and the entire European Union will be pushed into an economic situation of war.”

Hungary's legislator said the current energy crisis could lead to the continent's recession and political instability.