Speaking on public radio on Sunday, State Secretary Csaba Dömötör said that in addition to fighting against the rise in the price of oil and gas, the government must also guarantee the security of supply.
Fortunately, in the case of gas, the long-term gas purchase contracts are a guarantee for Hungary, Dömötör said. Other countries are not only facing price increases but cannot be sure whether there will be sufficient gas in the heating season, he added. “This is why we say that the voices demanding change must be amplified. Our amplifier is the National Consultation survey, which is why it is very important that more than a million people have already filled it in,” he said. Dömötör added that the decision on the oil embargo made in the summer was taking effect in the coming days. Hungary achieved an exemption from the embargo and will continue to receive Russian oil through the pipeline so it can escape the supply restrictions but unfortunately not the price increases, he said. If less Russian oil arrives in Europe, the price will increase, so Hungary, too, might have to pay more for oil and indirectly we will also pay the sanction premium, he pointed out. Dömötör added that in Brussels they were already working on the ninth sanction package, which, according to reports, would affect nuclear energy. This would cause serious damage to Hungary, partly because the Paks nuclear power plant works with Russian technology, and partly because it would create an obstacle to the Paks expansion, he said.