He said those measures were key to ensuring Hungarian energy supplies; "we will not accept calls from the EC to the contrary, nor demands or blackmail; we expressly reject all that."

Gulyas said the EC had an obligation to take steps to get Ukraine to resume deliveries of Hungary's crude through the Druzhba pipeline. He added that Hungary's energy supply security was conditional on the country's access to Russian gas and crude.

He said that the EC was aware that without Russian oil, there would not be enough oil in Europe unless the situation in the Strait of Hormuz changed swiftly. 

"And yet, they are not lifting sanctions and not opening the European market to Russian oil, but proposing measures reminiscent of the COVID-19 pandemic: that people should refrain from travelling by car or plane; they also see the re-introduction of working from home as necessary."

"That is a misguided approach; current events have clearly proven that Hungary was right when it maintained imports of Russian crude oil and natural gas; and is right now in fighting to maintain them, despite the fact that the European Commission is clearly President Zelensky’s accomplice in keeping the Druzhba oil pipeline closed," Gulyas said.

As long as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky keeps the Druzhba oil pipeline closed, "we will not contribute to any unanimous EU decision supporting Ukraine," he added.

Meanwhile, Gulyas said the opposition Tisza party's planned energy policy was fully aligned "with the plans of Brussels". 

"Over the past nearly two years, Tisza Party MEPs have voted five times in favor of resolutions calling for the abolition of utility and energy subsidies. Istvan Kapitany, the Tisza Party’s economic expert, has also argued for the elimination of price caps, margin caps and state intervention, which … would mean that the monthly electricity bill of an average household would increase by 16,000 forints [EUR 41.4], and the gas bill by 31,000 forints," he said.

While the EC is proposing that people should work from home in preparation to an expected crude shortage, "it is inexplicable why it is calling on Hungary to make protected fuel prices available for foreigners too," he said.

Government spokesperson Eszter Vitalyos said that the past week has seen investments worth a total of more than 164 billion forints implemented in Hungary.

She highlighted the 52 billion forint investment by Harman Becker into the development of automatisation and digitalisation at its plant; the government supported the upgrade with a 7 billion grant, contributing to preserve 4,200 jobs, she said.

In Szekesfehervar, in central Hungary, Howmet-Kofem has invested 17 billion forints into constructing a new production hall and creating 80 jobs. The project received 5 billion in a government grant, she added. MAB Tarnoca is investing 7.2 billion in a mineral wool plant, aiming to create 110 jobs, she added.

Tubex Matra is upgrading its plant in Sirok, in western Hungary, increasing capacity and creating 56 jobs, with a 2.5 billion government grant, she said.

Meanwhile, the government has signed its 105th strategic cooperation agreement with US cleaning products maker Scrub Daddy, she added.

Fielding questions, Gulyas said what mattered was winning the election, not opinion polls. The governing parties, he added, had good a chance of winning the trust of the majority of voters. He said he would believe the final result in ten days' time, he said.

He insisted the profession of polling was "now dead" and left-wing pollsters were trying to maintain the charade that the opposition had a chance of winning the election. Four years ago, polls underestimated Fidesz by 8-20 percent, he added.

Regarding private polling, he these surveys showed the governing parties winning an absolute majority.

In response to a question, Gulyas said he agreed with Tisza's economic spokesman Istvan Kapitany that the state should not meddle in the markets, but when petrol was approaching 1,000 forints, the state had the ability and the duty to intervene.

Gulyas said Tisza's energy plan contained nothing new, adding that Tisza MEPs had always voted against Hungary's interests.

Asked about fuel price caps, Gulyas said in the event of a Fidesz victory, the shutdown of the Druzhba pipeline ordered by Ukrainian President Zelensky would be rendered unnecessary and oil would flow to Hungary again. He said the government was committed to maintaining the protected price as long as needed. Hungary, he said, had enough vehicle fuel reserves for close to three months.

He also insisted that the prolongation of the war was now funded solely by the EU, meaning Zelensky could not manage without EU money. However, the bloc could only release the funds if Hungary agreed.

In return for its consent, Hungary merely asked the Ukrainian president for the EU to make a "modest" concession by fulfilling his obligations under the Association Agreement and not keeping the Druzhba oil pipeline closed, ensuring the transit of oil through the country's territory, he added.

"If President Zelensky fails to overthrow the Hungarian government and help a pro-Ukrainian government come to power in Budapest, he will have to comply with the Hungarian government's demand," he said.

The EU had made oil and gas supply an ideological issue, he said, and this had created economic mayhem in Europe. EU sanctions on Russian oil and gas should be lifted and introduced in other areas as to hurt the party being sanctioned, he added.

If the war dragged on and the Strait of Hormuz remained blocked, not only would crude oil be expensive but there would also be a fuel shortage, he said. Gulyas said Hungary could only imagine introducing restrictions as a last resort, adding the government opposed the introduction of such measures.

Meanwhile, asked whether the cabinet had discussed the case of police captain Bence Szabo, he said the issue had not been on the agenda as the meeting was "a serious event".

Such hard-to-follow issues were "feeble attempts" to distract attention from the activity of journalist Szabolcs Panyi to influence the Hungarian election on behalf of foreign secret services in the interest of Ukraine. Panyi, he added, was "in contact with the highest circles of the Tisza Party and has been acting against his own country".

He said no new rules have been introduced recently regarding the phone use of government members, adding that the recording of a phone conversation made public was from six years ago.

The Tisza Party and the left-wing press were only addressing this case to cover up and mitigate the impact of the Panyi affair, Gulyas said, adding that a journalist cooperating with a foreign state to wiretap the foreign minister was a scandal of global proportions.

Regarding the case of two IT experts who had worked for the Tisza party, Gulyas said: "All evidence is at hand … [suggesting] that the secret services have acted lawfully [in their investigation] and their actions were not motivated by party politics."

"The Hungarian left and Tisza are attacking an authority of the Hungarian state without the slightest evidence, with the most mendacious accusations," he said.

Responding to a question on a possible coalition with the radical Our Homeland Movement, Gulyas said no talks had been held. Neither had they discussed withdrawing candidates to the other's benefit, he said, insisting there was no such intention on the part of the ruling parties.

"Anyone who wants a patriotic government in Hungary must vote for Fidesz-KDNP… There is no intention of forming a coalition. We must garner 100 places in parliament, enough for successful governance."

Asked about reports that US Vice-President JD Vance was scheduled to visit Hungary at the start of next week, Gulyas said the announcement was up the US administration once a plan was finalised. "At the same time, there is a serious chance it will happen," he added.

Put to him the President Donald Trump had again mentioned the US may quit NATO, Gulyas said Hungary had a vested interest in being a member of a strong alliance, "and NATO is only strong if the US is a member," he said, adding that Trump's televised address on Wednesday contained no negative comments regarding the organisation.

Asked about the Ukrainian money transport intercepted in Hungary, Gulyas said the case was "unusual", arguing that the largest Hungarian bank had never transported such large sums.

MTI Stock Photo 

Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881. While MTI articles are usually factual, some may contain political bias, and readers should be aware that such content does not reflect the position of XpatLoop, which is neutral and independent.

Since the goal of XpatLoop is to keep readers well briefed, right across the spectrum of opinions, MTI items are shared to ensure readers are aware of all narratives within the local media.

XpatLoop believes in empowering readers to form their own views through complete and comprehensive coverage. To facilitate this XpatLoop has a balanced range of news partners, as you can see when you surf around XpatLoop.com

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