Szilárd Németh, the government commissioner responsible for maintaining reduced utility costs, stated that Brussels and the Hungarian left want to permanently end the utility cost reduction programme. However, the government is determined to uphold universal service, despite the relentless pressure, he said to MTI.
He mentioned that since the introduction of utility cost reduction in 2013, Brussels has consistently and aggressively pushed for its termination. This programme has allowed Hungarians to pay the lowest household energy bills in Europe.
Németh criticized the opposition, accusing them of spreading dishonest claims about utility cost reduction, suggesting that paying market prices for gas and electricity would be better. He made it clear that both Brussels and the opposition, led by Gyurcsány, want to end the universal service and utility cost reduction. According to him, the left would exploit and burden the Hungarian people once again.
He pointed out that during the eight years the left was in power,
household energy prices were raised fifteen times, gas prices tripled, and electricity prices doubled.
Hungarian families were forced to pay for the excess profits of Western-owned utility companies, resulting in the highest utility bills in Europe between 2002 and 2010.
He also recalled that during the left’s governance, general inflation was at 58 per cent, but household gas prices increased by 206 per cent, and electricity prices rose by 97 per cent. Furthermore, Gordon Bajnai’s government even cut social gas subsidies for the neediest, such as large families and pensioners.
Németh added that there was another issue to consider: if left-wing politicians and Soros-funded journalists claim that market prices are better than reduced utility costs, why do not they switch to the open market instead of universal service? The reason they do not, according to Németh, is that they are fully aware that their claims are ‘a massive lie, fake news, a bluff’. They understand that deregulating the market would lead to a social catastrophe for households of the like during their governance.
He emphasized that regardless of all attacks and pressure, the government will maintain universal service and protect reduced utility costs because Hungarian families are its top priority.
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Sources: Hungarian Conservative/MTI
