Hungarian Conservative

The Eastern Opening policy has greatly enhanced Hungary’s ability to diversify its natural gas import sources and the commencement of Turkish natural gas deliveries on April 1st, 2024, will amplify this policy’s effectiveness. For further diversification, there’s an emphasized need for a firmer commitment to boost imports from Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan.

‘What should Hungarians do? The question—and Orbán’s visionary answer—has meaning beyond Hungary, in ways that Americans and other Westerners only dimly recognize now. And it goes back to the prime minister’s 2014 advocacy of “illiberal democracy” for Hungary.’

It seems that even the most vocal supporters of energy sanctions do not want to give up Russian gas at all cost, which has led to some unusual but rather obvious solutions. Today, fossil fuels from Russia are being transported via proxies to pro-sanctions Western Europe. Also, despite loud promises, the vast majority of Western companies operating in Russia have not left the country at all, at least according to a Swiss study from 2022.

Worries grow about Moldova’s stability as the second wave of pro-Russian protests erupted in Chișinău and Wizz Air temporarily suspended its flights due to repeated violations of Moldova’s airspace by Russian missiles.

Anti-government protests, prompted by the soaring energy prices in Moldova, ended in chants of ´we want to be part of Russia!´.

The United States and the United Kingdom recently sanctioned Bulgarian citizens for their alleged abuse of public funds under the Global Magnitsky Act.