“Hungary is a climate champion and Brussels acknowledges this,” said Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, summarizing the EU summit in Brussels in a video posted to his Facebook page. He also added that “Hungary is one of the countries that have been most able to reduce their CO2 emissions since 1990.”
The prime minister emphasized that “we all know that climate change is a big problem and to fight it is a huge undertaking. But Hungarians also know that this costs an enormous amount of money.” He drew attention to the fact that the most important question is who will pay the bill at the end of the day, a topic that figured prominently in the negotiations at the Brussels summit.
PM Orbán drew the conclusion that certain successes had been achieved and stated that “we have created the chance that future climate protection rules will be such that the poorer Member States and citizens do not have to bear the costs of this fight.” The PM further emphasized that new regulations should not take away money from those countries that are trying to catch up with other Member States.
Touching upon the question of nuclear energy, the prime minister said that “now we can make provisions that encourage the use of nuclear energy,” adding that “there is a chance for rules so that climate protection will not result in an increase in the price of fuel or food.”
Closing his remarks with moderate optimism, PM Viktor Orbán said: “We didn't win, but we gave ourselves a chance to win later.”
Photo credit: Origo