Fidesz MEP Tamás Deutsch has told public radio that Hungary is safe from the power cuts threatening Southern and Western Europe as a consequence of the energy crisis gripping the continent.
“It is an undeniable fact that citizens may experience blackouts in the winter months,” Deutsch, who also heads the Fidesz delegation in the European Parliament, said. Deutsch said that while Hungary’s energy supply is safe thanks to the long-term contract the government closed with Russia earlier this year, German and Austrian authorities are already preparing the citizens for possible days-long blackouts. The government’s utility price cuts have prevented energy prices from skyrocketing, unlike in southern and western Europe, he said. Household gas prices are currently the lowest in the European Union, and electricity prices are the second lowest, he said.
Meanwhile, Deutsch said the Hungarian opposition continues to attack the measure. “They approve Western pricing policies, even though they led to a 300 percent rise in gas prices, and 400 percent in electricity prices,” he said. The opposition’s plans would bring an annual HUF 380,000 (EUR 1,000) rise in utility prices for an average Hungarian family, he said. “In addition, they are also enthusiastic supporters of an absurd idea of Brussels that would burden citizens with the costs of climate protection. That would mean another HUF 150,000 in annual expenses for every family,” he said. The incumbent government’s policy has brought down utility prices by 25 percent for households since 2013-2014, Deutsch said.
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