On September 10 (local time), according to TASS news agency, Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said that the country's government will request the European Union (EU) to include compensation for countries that abandon Russian energy supplies in the bloc's new 7-year budget.
Speaking at a press conference after the Visegrad Group summit including Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic in Bratislava, Mr. Magyar called on the EU to put forward specific initiatives, based on data, to support Central European businesses in the energy transition process.
According to Prime Minister Peter Magyar, these measures need to help businesses gradually reduce dependence on Russian oil and gas, shift from fossil fuels to alternative energy sources, and develop energy storage infrastructure.
Mr. Magyar said that the global energy situation is still "extremely difficult", as many countries are facing a shortage of gasoline and diesel.
The Hungarian Prime Minister warned that the budgets of EU member states are unlikely to bear further financial pressure. He also said that maintaining the fuel price ceiling will "inevitably" lead to shortages.
Mr. Magyar said that EU leaders have only issued general slogans on maintaining a fair business environment, while Central European businesses are facing the risk of bankruptcy because they are not able to pay electricity and gas bills.
We need specific proposals for all European citizens," Mr. Magyar said, while emphasizing the need to clarify how to support businesses.
The Tisza Party, the force that won the parliamentary elections on April 12, once pledged to get Hungary out of dependence on Russian fuel by 2035. However, the party's program does not specify specific measures to achieve the above goal.
After coming to power, Mr. Magyar's government continued to affirm its commitment to reducing dependence on Russian energy and diversifying the list of suppliers. However, the Hungarian cabinet admitted that it is not yet possible to completely cut off Russian oil and gas supplies, and will continue to cooperate with Moscow in this field.
Currently, Hungary mainly receives oil through the Druzhba pipeline and gas through the TurkStream pipeline, along with branches passing through Bulgaria and Serbia.
According to previous estimates of the government under former Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Hungary imported more than 8.5 million tons of oil and more than 7 billion m3 of gas from Russia in 2025.
