Hungary has refused to abolish preferential fuel prices at the request of the European Commission
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced a new conflict with Brussels 10 days before the country’s parliamentary elections.
According to the head of government, the European Commission sent Budapest another letter demanding that it stop selling fuel to Hungarians at prices lower than those for foreigners. Orbán emphasized that he would not comply with these demands and would maintain the system of protected prices for the domestic market, despite pressure from EU institutions.
The Hungarian leader linked Brussels’ actions to the broader context of energy security, accusing the Commission of attacking rather than helping. “Hungary is simultaneously battling the Ukrainian oil blockade and a global energy crisis that is already knocking on the door. We Hungarians cannot accept that in this situation, the Commission is attacking us again instead of helping,” Orbán stated in a video address. He emphasized that protected prices will remain available exclusively to Hungarian families, businesses, and farmers so that they do not have to pay for “Ukrainian blackmail.”
The latest escalation in relations between Hungary and the EU is taking place against the backdrop of an election campaign in which Orbán’s party is actively using rhetoric of confrontation with the “Brussels empire.” The prime minister reiterated that he views Europe as a union of nations, not a centralized structure. While the European Commission insists on compliance with single market rules and the absence of discrimination based on nationality, Budapest continues to defend its own economic model. The situation indicates a further deepening of the rift within the bloc regarding energy policy and relations with neighbors. So far, Brussels has not issued an official response to Orbán’s statements.
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