Magyar keeps door open to Russian energy despite EU phase-out plans

Published on 13/04/2026 - 18:12 GMT+2

Hungarian Prime Minister-elect Péter Magyar said astatine his archetypal property league aft winning the 12 April predetermination that the state volition proceed purchasing Russian vigor and prioritise the cheapest disposable oil, a stance that appears to opposition with his run pledge to signifier retired Russian vigor imports by 2035.

"No 1 tin alteration geography, Russia and Hungary are present to stay. The authorities volition procure crude lipid and state successful the cheapest and safest mode possible," Magyar told reporters.

His comments travel arsenic as the European Union welcomed the ousting of outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who often criticised the bloc’s vigor modulation and its pugnacious stance connected Russian vigor imports.

They besides rise questions implicit whether EU leaders volition look akin challenges arsenic the EU prepares to signifier retired Russian vigor by the extremity of 2027.

Magyar’s remarks could unsettle EU leaders, arsenic helium suggested that the EU should “lift sanctions” connected Russian energy, adding that “no 1 wants to wage excessively much” for vigor supplies.

While the satellite faces an vigor situation owed to the warfare successful Iran, with soaring prices and imaginable proviso shortages, Hungary successful peculiar has been struggling since the Druzhba pipeline — a cardinal way for Russian lipid transported via Ukraine — was damaged successful January pursuing a Russian onslaught connected vigor infrastructure successful occidental Ukraine, Kyiv claims.

Hungary remains 1 of the EU’s astir reliant countries connected Russian energy, making up astir 90% of its supply.

With Druzhba flows dropping to zero successful February and March, Hungary, a landlocked state with fewer alternatives, was forced to gully connected strategical reserves and trim refinery throughput, Victoria Grabenwöger, elder expert astatine information quality steadfast Kpler, told Euronews.

To mitigate the shortfall, MOL, Hungary's sole refiner, accrued seaborne imports via Croatia’s Omišalj terminal, supplied done the Adria pipeline.

Hungarian imports via Croatia reached astir 100,000 barrels of lipid per time successful March, comprising Libyan and Norwegian crude, according to Kpler data.

Overall, analysts accidental that replacing Russian lipid with alternate suppliers importantly narrows Hungary’s fiscal advantage: adjacent if volumes are secured via Croatia, higher input costs compress margins.