Hungary: Europe’s Energy Crisis Will Last for Years 

By Staff, Agencies  

Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto warned that “The ongoing energy crisis in Europe is set to be a long one and will extend to 2023 and 2024, and possibly beyond.” 

Following a meeting of EU energy ministers on Wednesday, Szijjarto cautioned: “We are now seeing the first global energy crisis in history, and it is long-term,” explaining that the crisis is being fueled by underlying “structural geopolitical reasons tied to security,” which require “long-term solutions.” 

The diplomat noted that “international institutions which still retain a small amount of common sense” also warn that this is a long-term crisis and a problem which will exist “not just this winter, but the next one and the one after that as well.” 

Szijjarto also mentioned that Hungary’s own energy supply has been secured, after the country reached an agreement with Russia and has been receiving gas through the TurkStream pipeline without interruption. 

 “That is why the Hungarian government pays special attention to ensuring the physical and legal functioning of the Turkish Stream, as this is a fundamental interest of our national security,” he said, noting that Hungarian gas storage facilities are filled at 48.2% of annual consumption, while the average fill level for Europe is currently at 26.9%. 

Hungary receives around 80% of its gas from Russia’s gas giant Gazprom. While Russia has cut off gas supplies to a number of countries, Hungary signed a deal with Moscow in late August for additional deliveries on top of already-agreed volumes.