Hungarian Conservative

Hungary has the most hot springs in the European Union. The municipal government of Szeged is making a unique effort to try to utilize geothermal energy for its district heating system.

According to Csaba Lantos, over 28,000 people have already pre-registered for the Solar Energy Plus programme, with over 15,000 subsidy applications received so far for the installation of solar panels and accompanying green energy storage units.

In the second half of 2024 a regional power exchange known as the BlueSky Project is poised for launch, involving Hungary, Slovenia, and Serbia. Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó stated in Budapest on Tuesday that the initiative will notably enhance regional security of energy supply.

‘Green energy production, storage, utilization, and recycling: this is how the green economy is built, of which Hungary is a leader in the world, not a follower’, Government Commissioner László György stated in Debrecen, encouraging citizens to fill in the green energy consultation questionnaire.

According to the Hungarian Ministry of Energy, Hungarian gas consumption, similarly to the previous cycle, decreased by a fifth in the last period observed, outperforming the compulsory target prescribed for EU member states.

Hungary stands as the sole EU member state purportedly failing to adequately diminish its energy reliance on Russia, a paid advertisement of the US Embassy in Budapest suggests. However, the truth is that numerous EU nations continue to rely on Russian imports, and the Hungarian government is actively striving to diversify its energy sources.

Budapest’s recognized initiatives as part of the programme included the car-free weekend organized with the involvement of the Budapest Transport Centre (BKK), as well as the European Car-Free Day held on weekdays, during which Mayor Gergely Karácsony presented plans for the human-friendly and green renewal of the lower embankment of Pest. The programme also included events aimed at showcasing best practices in pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly developments, jointly organized with the city of Vienna, targeting both the general public and professionals.

Citizen can submit their responses to questions related to 13 important issues ranging from solar panels to reducing utility bills to electromobility.

Crucial milestones regarding the expansion of the nuclear plant in Paks are the construction of the containment structure and the reactor vessel, of which the former has been completed, while the manufacturing of the latter is set to commence shortly. It is expected to reach another milestone, the ‘first concrete’, by the end of this year.

Industrial power plants and storage facilities can be connected to the grid by 2030, the Ministry of Energy announced. The current energy storage capacity of only twenty megawatts could increase twentyfold by 2026 and fiftyfold by 2030.

The target of six gigawatts was originally set to be achieved by 2030. However, since Hungary has already reached this goal, the government has raised the target to twelve gigawatts by the end of the same period.

The adopted amendments to the Regulation on Wholesale Energy Market Integrity and Transparency, designed to respond to the energy crisis, cover new trading practices such as algorithmic trading and strengthen reporting and monitoring requirements to protect consumers from market abuse.

‘How are Europeans supposed to afford the welfare state and support migrants and pay for higher energy prices and pursue remilitarization and revive their economies on the same income without taking on any more undue debt, which is already considerably high?’

Brussels recently unveiled its climate target, adjusted in the wake of the farmer protests. However, the ambitious plan is still founded on a flawed approach: the EU is prioritizing mitigation over adaptation, imposing a greater financial burden on member states than what is truly necessary.

Péter Szijjártó welcomed the continuous development of bilateral economic relations and the breaking of export records. He also praised Qatar’s role in the release of some hostages abducted by Hamas, including three Hungarian citizens, and revealed that another Hungarian citizen might be held by terrorist organization and requested assistance from Qatar in facilitating their prompt return.

The analyst emphasized that a severe economic crisis has unfolded in Germany, partly due to the misguided sanction policy and the energy crisis resulting from the shutdown of nuclear power plants.

Speaking at the opening of an MVM customer service office in Nagykáta, Pest County, Zsófia Koncz emphasized that since 2013, the government has considered keeping the utility cost reduction programme in place a top priority.

State Secretary of the Ministry of Energy Gábor Czepek told former President János Áder in the latest episode of the Blue Planet podcast that the Hungarian government’s goal is to produce at least 50 per cent of electricity sustainably by the early 2030.

The strengthening of the energy ties between the three neighbouring countries is set to enhance the efficiency and profitability of trading and reinforce Hungary’s energy sovereignty.

Last year, 22,651 vehicles with official green markings were registered domestically, making 2023 another record year, surpassing the nearly 21,000-unit expansion peak in 2022.

According to the ten-page study by the international credit rating agency, the stable outlook is supported by the region’s expected robust macroeconomic performance. In addition, the economies of the countries in the region have been relatively resilient to the European energy supply crisis.

The recently launched Solar Energy Plus Programme, announced just a month ago, allows private individuals with privately owned residential properties, beneficial use rights, or leasing agreements to use non-refundable support for renewable energy sources. Thanks to the funding covering two-thirds of their costs, supported households can produce green energy for their own use, and also store it for later use. The supported households become more capable of self-sustainability in terms of energy, effectively reducing their utility bills.

The loneliness and silence of the Danube Bend in the winter is difficult to describe. Pictures convey the story of the river and the mountains—beyond words.

According to the Ministry of Energy’s plans, domestic enterprises can apply for non-refundable state support from a budget of 30 billion HUF for the purchase of purely electric cars, light trucks, or minibuses.

Allowing alternative sources of fuel to Paks is a step closer to diversifying Hungary’s energy resources. Meanwhile, the French company Framatome is the expected winner of the proposal to develop the control hardware of the power plant.

The researchers affiliated with the applied chemistry department of the University of Debrecen have been engaged in a prolonged exploration of the usability of renewable energy and its storage possibilities.

The conservative position in the United States is that American exports should be ramped up to secure European energy stability and American influence, pushing back Russia’s own power across the continent while questioning the validity of the environmentalists’ alarmism in the process. While U.S. policy is already moving in such a direction through its increased LNG exports, a possible conservative administration in 2024 seems to have its agenda set to push the effort into overdrive.

During a joint press conference with Alexey Likhachev, the head of the Russian nuclear energy company Rosatom, Péter Szijjártó welcomed the start of the construction of new reactors in Paks. He pointed out that the expansion is currently the largest nuclear project on the continent with a construction permit.

While Turkish–Hungarian relations are based on mutual interests, Ankara regards Hungary as a strong ally, and a country that is linked to Turkey by a sense of kinship, according to Turkish Ambassador to Hungary Gülşen Karanis Ekşioğlu.

According to the ministry’s statement, Foreign Minister Szijjártó minister reported on the progress of the Paks project during a hearing of the Sustainable Development Committee of the National Assembly, welcoming the fact that the visible phase of the project is now underway.