Tisza on energy dependence: ‘Hungary sold out to Putin’

This is the position of the Tisza Party group in the European Parliament (EP). The MEPs of Hungary’s largest opposition party found themselves in a dilemma when it came to further tightening sanctions against Russia these days. Although Péter Magyar’s party fundamentally welcomes the complete ban on Russian energy imports, it cannot jeopardise Hungary’s security of supply. The Orbán government’s ‘failures’ and misguided energy policy are clearly to blame.

The Tisza party sees a heavy legacy for Hungary, which MSZP and Fidesz have amassed by becoming deeply dependent on Moscow. Dubious deals show a ‘flourishing Russian corruption at a strategic level in Hungary’. The MEPs write in their press release: ‘The old political elites sold out the country to Putin instead of national interests and independence in energy matters and are still doing so today.’ Due to a lack of strategic investment in infrastructure, Hungarian companies now pay some of the highest prices for gas and electricity in the entire EU. At the same time, Hungary remains excluded from the reconstruction fund (700 million euros in grants and 4 billion euros in subsidised loans) ‘because of the corruption of the clan around Orbán, Tiborcz and Mészáros’. Finally, the Tisza party promises to strengthen Hungary’s sovereignty in energy matters through genuine diversification after the 2026 elections.