Viktor Orban criticized the European Union’s decision to impose an embargo on Russian oil imports. For the Hungarian Prime Minister, Brussels has crossed “a red line” and has “undermined” the European unity displayed since the start of the war in Ukraine. “Commission President Ursula von der Leyen “whether or not she attacked European unity,” he said in a radio interview.
“I said yes to the first five sanctions packages, but we made it clear from the start that there was a red line: the energy embargo. They have crossed this line (…), there is a moment when you have to say stop, ”he added. Hungary had already said on Wednesday its opposition to the embargo project “in its current form” and Viktor Orban, close before the invasion of Russian President Vladimir Putin, drives the point home.
“We need a unanimous decision. Until the Hungarian question is resolved, there will be no yes from Hungary”, he insisted, without wanting to use the word “veto”. “The proposal has been returned to the sender, to Madam President to rework it, we are awaiting a new proposal,” added the leader. The unanimity of the 27 is imperative for the adoption of sanctions by the EU. It has been obtained for the previous five rounds of sanctions. The Commission recommends in its 6and sanctions package “a ban on all Russian oil, crude and refined, transported by sea and by pipeline” by the end of 2022.
Country 65% dependent on Russian gas
According to Viktor Orban, the Europeans had acted “the sovereign right of each country on its energy mix”, Hungary being 65% dependent on Russian oil. An embargo “would be equivalent to a nuclear bomb dropped on the Hungarian economy”, launched Friday the Prime Minister, accustomed to arm wrestling with his European partners for twelve years. The derogation planned for his country until the end of 2023 by the Commission is in his view in no way satisfactory, “the total transformation of the Hungarian transport and energy supply system” requiring “five years” and proving to be very expensive to implement.
READ ALSOWhy Russian gas is (today) irreplaceable
“We are not going anywhere with a one-and-a-half-year exemption,” he said, adding that Budapest would accept the proposal if crude oil delivered by pipelines were excluded from the package. Viktor Orban also protested against the inclusion in the sanctions package of the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, who showed support for the offensive. “We will not allow church leaders to be put on a sanctions list,” he said.