Hungary no longer enjoys an energy price advantage over other European Union countries from importing Russian gas, as fluctuations in market prices have completely eliminated that benefit.
“Regardless of what the previous government [of Viktor Orbán — ed.] lied about, cheap Russian gas no longer exists,” Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar said in a telephone interview with ATV television, according to Szeretlek Magyarország.
He explained that gas prices everywhere are linked to exchange-traded market prices.
According to Magyar, his government will purchase natural gas from as many sources as possible to ensure reliable supplies.
The prime minister said he had discussed phasing out Russian energy sources with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and that Germany had offered Hungary access to liquefied natural gas (LNG) transportation infrastructure.
Magyar noted that Hungary has gas pipeline connections with almost all its neighbors, meaning the direction of gas purchases is not a major problem. The more important factor, he said, is the difference in transit fees.
He added that having more gas suppliers would give Hungary greater leverage in negotiating transit fees.
Discussing his talks with Merz, Magyar also acknowledged significant differences over the EU’s next seven-year budget.
He confirmed that the Hungarian government insists on preserving traditional cohesion policy and agricultural subsidies, while Germany wants to reform them.
However, he said much of the discussion focused on areas where the two countries agreed and how they could work together.
Hungary receives most of its gas from Russia through the TurkStream pipeline but is required to reduce these supplies under the EU’s decision to phase out Russian energy imports.
The Council of the European Union has agreed on a plan to completely ban Russian LNG imports from Jan. 1, 2027, and Russian pipeline gas from Sept. 30, 2027.
As previously reported, Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orbán said her country would phase out Russian gas by fall 2027.