The Hungarian government will do everything it can to continue to protect Hungarian families from the additional expenses that would be caused by the abolition of the protected fuel price and the reduction in utility bills, contrary to the European Commission’s demands, Gergely Gulyás, the minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office, told press during a Government Info session on Thursday.
“The European Commission called on the Hungarian government to abolish and eliminate the protected fuel price, which it rejected, as well as the Commission’s demand for the marketization of gas and electricity prices,” Gulyás said, as quoted by Hirado.
He added that implementing the European Commission’s demands and eliminating the protected price of gasoline and diesel would mean an additional expenditure of approximately HUF 48,600 (€128) per month for Hungarian families at today’s price level, marketization of electricity prices would result in an additional HUF 16,000 for an average consumer family, and the elimination of the preferential gas price would increase the bill of an average household by HUF 31,000.
With the Strait of Hormuz shut down and a quarter of the world’s oil supply blocked, the whole world is currently facing an energy crisis with skyrocketing energy prices and fuel shortages. Due to this situation, Gulyás said it is critical to have significant reserves and not block supply routes for ideological and political reasons. If anything, he added, new channels should be opened, while the European Commission, on the other hand, wants to pressure Hungary to remove and eliminate Russian oil and gas.
He underlined that “common-sense Hungarian citizens will not be comforted” by the Commission’s proposal that people consume less and not get into cars. “In Hungary, common sense still has the majority, as we will see,” he said.
For now, despite numerous risks to its energy supply, at the moment, both the country’s gas and electricity supplies, as well as fuel supplies, are secured, Gulyás noted.
“Thanks to the exemption won by PM Orbán at the European Council meeting in the summer of 2022, Hungary was able to enjoy uninterrupted supplies of Russian crude oil and natural gas until recently,” the minister noted.
He indicated that although the Ukrainians have stopped the transport of crude oil, there are significant reserves available there as well, and procurement via alternative routes has also begun. “Thanks to this, we can maintain the protected price, so in Hungary we do not have to pay 700, 800, 900 or 1,000 forints for gasoline, as in other European countries, but 595 forints for gasoline and 615 forints for diesel fuel,” he pointed out.
He indicated that the government intends to maintain these measures as long as possible and called on other European countries to do the same.
Referring to the “bomb attack attempt” against the TurkStream gas pipeline, he thanked the Serbian authorities for their thorough procedure, emphasizing that the operation of this pipeline is a key factor in energy security for Hungary.
Gulyás indicated that the investigation is ongoing in Serbia and that security measures have been increased on the Hungarian section of the pipeline.
On opposition leader Péter Magyar, the minister said: “We have good reason to believe that his mandate extends to establishing a policy in Hungary that is not opposed to war, that does not want peace, but is willing to continue the policy of dragging the European Union and Brussels into war.”
Gulyás additionally reiterated the importance of NATO, Hungary’s standing as a reliable NATO partner, and new investments being made in the country.
Eszter Vitályos also reported that the renovated Citadel, one of Budapest’s most famous attractions at the top of Gellért Hill, will be open to visitors again from April 5.
The post Hungary’s gas, oil and electricity supplies are secure, for now appeared first on Remix News.
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