Hungary denounced this Tuesday an “unenforceable” agreement after a meeting in Brussels of the energy ministers of the European Union, who agreed to reduce their gas consumption in a coordinated manner in the face of a new drastic drop in Russian deliveries.
Of the 27, only Budapest opposed the text, adopted by a qualified majority.
The agreement provides that each country will do “everything possible” to reduce, between August 2022 and March 2023, its gas consumption by at least 15% compared to the average of the last five years in the same period.
In case of “risk of serious shortages”, an alert mechanism will make the 15% reduction “binding” for the Twenty-seven, but this objective will be adapted to the realities of each country.
This system aims to pool efforts in an emergency to help Germany in particular, which is highly dependent on Russian gas. A major shock to Europe’s leading economy would inevitably have repercussions throughout the 27. Hence the need for solidarity.
“Questionable legal basis”
The plan had come under heavy criticism in recent days from several states, particularly in southern Europe. If they finally voted in favor of the compromise found, Viktor Orban’s Hungary, accustomed to armed struggle with Brussels, does not take off.
Szijjarto called the “legal basis dubious” and said security of energy supply was “the responsibility of national governments.”
“Is someone in Brussels going to explain to the Hungarians that there is gas in Hungary that individuals and companies cannot use? It’s nonsense!” she got carried away.
Hungary, which depends heavily on Russian oil and gas for its consumption, declared a “state of emergency” in mid-July in the face of the energy crisis.
Contrary to the EU’s strategy of breaking away from Moscow, Szijjarto visited Moscow last week to discuss the purchase of an additional 700 million cubic meters of gas, to be added to the 4.5 billion delivered each year to Budapest before the conflict in Ukraine.
Source: BFM TV
