Budapest mayor criticizes Hungarian government for making gas deals with Putin
The mayor of Budapest is dissatisfied with the Orbán government (Photo:REUTERS/Go Nakamur)
Budapest mayor Gergely Karácsony has lashed out at the Hungarian government and the country’s prime minister, Viktor Orbán, for striking deals to buy gas from Russia.
He said the Orbán government has allied the country with losers and hobbled the economy of Hungary.
"Cheap Russian gas is a huge scam,” Karácsony said. “Putin provides gas to Hungary at a very high price. What happened many times in Hungarian history is happening again: the government not only puts the country on the wrong side of history, but also puts it on the losing side.”
“The fact that they cannot distinguish between the aggressor and the victim is not only—although this would be sufficient—morally unjustified, but also economically harmful. Because cheap Russian gas is a lie.”
Karácsony said Orbán's pro-Russian policies only harm the country, and don’t bring any benefits to Hungarians.
“Putin provides gas to Hungary at a very high price, and our increased utility bills only enrich Putin,” he said.
“In fact, the discount on utilities was provided on the basis of a long-term gas contract signed last summer, which has nothing to do with either the war, or sanctions, which in no way related to the gas trade. We don't get anything for the irresponsible policies pursued by the government.”
“We must get out of Putin's shadow and move from fossil energy to renewable energy. We must choose energy independence instead of energy dependence.”
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