In response, the Ukrainian foreign ministry issued a statement saying it would turn to the European Commission and postpone a meeting of the Hungarian-Ukrainian economic committee in response to the move.Continue reading
Hungary is safe from the power cuts threatening Southern and Western Europe as a consequence of the energy crisis gripping the continent, a Fidesz MEP told public radio on Sunday.
“It is an undeniable fact that citizens may experience blackouts in the winter months,” Tamás Deutsch, who also heads the Fidesz delegation in the European Parliament, said.
While Hungary’s energy supply is safe thanks to the long-term contract the government closed with Russia earlier this year, German and Austrian authorities are already preparing the citizens for possible days-long blackouts, Deutsch said.
The government’s utility price cuts have prevented energy prices from skyrocketing, unlike in southern and western Europe, he said. Household gas prices are currently the lowest in the European Union, and electricity prices are the second lowest, he said.
Meanwhile, the Hungarian opposition continues to attack the measure, Deutsch said. “They approve Western pricing policies, even though they led to a 300 percent rise in gas prices, and 400 percent in electricity prices,” he said.
The opposition’s plans would bring an annual 380,000 forint (EUR 1,000) rise in utility prices for an average Hungarian family, he said. “In addition, they are also enthusiastic supporters of an absurd idea of Brussels that would burden citizens with the costs of climate protection. That would mean another 150,000 forints in annual expenses for every family,” he said.
The incumbent government’s policy has brought down utility prices by 25 percent for households since 2013-2014, Deutsch said.
Featured photo by János Vajda/MTI