Hungary is able to secure gas supplies for itself, “unlike the westerners”, Viktor Orbán told public radio.
“We’re more adept at getting gas on our own than if we were to wait for others,” the prime minister said in an interview, explaining why Hungary was opting out of joint European Union purchases of gas. Hungary would only lose out on such a programme, so it supports voluntary participation, he added. Orbán also criticised the EU’s solidarity mechanism aimed at avoiding sharp disparities of gas supply across the bloc. Hungary rejects the idea of a mandatory mechanism as this would mean that after securing enough gas to cover its annual consumption, the country would have to turn over its supplies to countries that do not have enough gas owing to the sanctions imposed on Russia.
There is a “temporary lull” in the growth of gas prices, after European reserves have been refilled over the summer, Orbán said. Prices are expected to grow again as EU countries start to use their reserves in the winter, he said. Hungary has concluded long-term contracts with Russia to ensure gas supplies, he noted.