Hungarian Conservative

As Western pundits and politicians are busy condemning Hungary for its national consultation about energy sanctions, they ignore the anger boiling up in their own countries.

Sanctions that target a whole country instead of specific individuals always hurt the innocent, ordinary people the most. Be these people European citizens who cannot afford to pay their electricity bills, or Central Asians who now live in extreme poverty, generic sanctions punish those the most who are the least responsible.

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

Ultimately, the fact that Belgium still allows Russian diamond imports means that they are more invested in supplying those living a life of luxury with rare precious stones than in letting people heat their homes in the winter.

The European Union seems determined to answer Russia’s annexation efforts by implementing more restrictive measures. But more and more EU member states are becoming doubtful about the benefits of the sanctions.

The leaders of the parliamentary groups of Hungary’s ruling parties announced on Friday that the government will launch a national consultation on the subject of energy sanctions.

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.

A large Prague demonstration this past Saturday sent a clear message to policymakers that the Czech people are fed up with the mistaken Russian sanctions and their devastating impact on the cost of living. Research indicates that citizens in other capitals across Europe might follow suit soon.

As the cost of living and energy prices skyrocket in Europe, resistance to EU sanctions on Russia is growing. On Saturday, 70 thousand Czechs took to the streets to demand that their government take a neutral stance in the conflict.

The UK economy is under great pressure from the sanctions imposed on Russia. Energy prices have soared, and inflation is sky high. putting a strain on the population’s wellbeing. Meanwhile. the government keeps funding Ukraine.

The economic sanctions against Russia seem to have hurt Europe more than the country stricken by them. Russian economy is not weakening as rapidly as those of some EU countries.

The EU Commission is considering sanctioning Turkey over its unwillingness to cut economic and political ties with Russia. But Ankara has one card up its sleeve that Brussels either forgets or simply ignores: the ability to open the migration floodgates to Europe.

According to Gertrud Traud, a senior economist at Landesbank, the punitive measures are harming the world more than the nation they are intended to target.

The right-wing politician claims that the sanctions against Russia are ineffective and they primarily harm Europeans.

According to the head of a Bavarian clinic, finding a hospital that can treat you quickly won’t be that easy in the future.

The rashly introduced sanctions due to the raging war might push the European Union into a food crisis.

While the initial European position on the Russian energy threats seemed like a unanimous ‘No’, now – without no apparent short-term alternatives – more and more countries prepare to pay in roubles which will likely create tensions with those who still refuse.

While on the surface Putin’s responsibility for the crisis is apparent, the reality is that Putin was provoked by the West to invade Ukraine.