Opposition parties call for ad hoc committee to investigate government ‘utility lies’

Bence Tordai, Parbeszed’s deputy group leader, said the government had failed to explain to Hungarians why their country “had sunk into such a deep energy and cost-of-living crisis” compared with other countries. He noted that in 2010 the Fidesz government had pledged in its election programme to reduce Hungary’s energy needs and bring about a “green energy revolution”. “What we have received instead was a utility lie,” Tordai said, arguing that “energy was sold at much higher prices than the price paid for them in the markets”.

Ferenc Gelencser, Momentum’s group leader, accused the Fidesz-KDNP government of “lying to the people in its latest election campaign about the good shape of Hungary’s economy and fixed utility prices”. The governing parties knew already in December last year that the utility price cap scheme would be impossible to maintain, but lied to people just to stay in power,” he said. The ad hoc committee should investigate why Hungary is most exposed to Russian gas imports among EU member states and why the government continues to prevent the use of renewable energy sources, Gelencser said. The committee should also investigate why the government had supported sanctions against Russia if it disagreed with them, he added.

Gyorgy Laszlo Lukacs, Jobbik’s group leader, called for the committee to investigate “the truth about cheap Russian gas” and contracts concluded by the government.

Imre Komjathi, a lawmaker for the Socialists, said the party would use “all tools in parliament and outside” to give answers to the people why they must pay more in usage fees for the maintenance and operation of the energy system than for their energy consumption and why the usage fees have been increased by 80 percent as of October 1.