Hungarian Conservative

On his Blue Planet podcast, János Áder, former President of Hungary sat down to talk to the mayors of Kaposvár and Debrecen to discuss the progress the cities have made regarding their commitment to reduce their carbon footprint by 80 per cent by 2050.

Péter Szijjártó said the process of doubling the capacity of the gas interconnector between Serbia and Hungary by 2028 is on pace. With the two new nuclear power units at the Paks plant set to enter commercial operation in the early 2030s, both countries’ electricity supply will also remain secure.

On Sunday, the second phase of the sixth package of anti-Russia sanctions was introduced. The EU has now banned the import and re-export of processed petroleum products from Russia. The Hungarian government, however, managed to secure an exemption.

The level of cooperation between Baku and Budapest was raised to the next level this week by the signing of a declaration on enhanced strategic partnership.

97 percent of Hungarians oppose sanctions that they believe would seriously harm the country, according to the results of the national consultation launched by the government last year.

Energy Minister Csaba Lantos highlighted in a recent interview that the government would continue to subsidize gas prices for Hungarian households up to the level of average consumption.

Some observers believe that the war offers a painful but historic opportunity for Europe to detach itself from fossil fuels more rapidly than planned, and the scarcity of energy will bring the required green shift in societal attitudes, as well as the operation of the economy.

Serbian PM-designate Ana Brnabić said in Belgrade on Tuesday that the urgent construction and completion of the oil pipeline linking Serbia and Hungary is one of the priority projects in the country’s new energy strategy.

The general switchover must be a deliberate and incremental process, mindful of the specific situation and the needs of each member state.

According to a recent poll, most Hungarians are against implementing new sanctions on Russian gas. The majority also thinks that the sanctions hurt Europe more than Russia.

While member countries agree that there is a need to curb energy prices, differences have surfaced as to the details of the intervention.

The likelihood of power outages is higher in France than in its neighboring countries as a result of the most serious issues with its nuclear power facilities in decades. They are facing a more serious dilemma than Germany is.

The International Monetary Fund has advised governments against granting widespread financial assistance amid the energy crisis. While energy companies would continue to enjoy unprecedented profits, average househoulds would be hit especially hard should governments follow the advice.

Spain places restrictions on heating and air conditioning to conserve energy. Rules are applicable to public and large commercial buildings, but president of the Community of Madrid said she would defy the new rules.

In response to decreased Russian gas exports and in anticipation of a potential cut-off, nations across Europe are looking for measures to reduce energy use and restock their gas reserves.

While the energy crisis is wreaking havoc across Western Europe, leaders are starting to consider unconventional ideas to combat shortages.

Texas might face a similar energy-crisis as many European countries, although not for the same reason.

While in Norway strikes have broken out due to the workers in the energy-industry being underpaid, Hungarian gas reserves and production are standing strong.

Although the Visegrád Four may be facing one of the most severe disruptions of its history, it is too early to discount it as a “collateral victim of the war,” as the cooperation’s main virtue has always been its ability to overcome momentary political disputes.

Hungary contributed financially the most—among the Visegrád Four countries—to prevent a climate crisis.

While Brussels hopes that breaking free from Russian energy will encourage a green turn in Europe, the chances of a green transition in Central Europe are in fact very low.