Hungary, Slovakia oppose EU’s push to cut off Russian energy
Nazrin Abdul
Read moreHungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has stated that Hungary will not support the European Commission’s plan to phase out Russian energy sources. However, he acknowledged that Hungary cannot block the plan if it is adopted by majority vote rather than consensus within the European Union (EU), Azernews reports, citing TASS.
“They can adopt it by a majority vote,” Orbán said on Kossuth Radio, referring to Brussels’ initiative to halt the supply of Russian gas, oil, and nuclear fuel in the coming years.
Orbán criticized the plan, calling it an attack on Hungary due to its opposition to Ukraine’s EU accession and divergence from the majority of EU members on several issues.
He warned that implementing the plan would lead to higher energy prices, estimating that Hungary would pay an additional 800 billion forints (approximately 2 billion euros) annually.
Orbán added that Hungary has allies within the EU, citing Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who described the Commission’s proposal as “economic suicide” for Europe. He predicted intense debates over the issue in the months ahead.
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