Pro-government commentators find the EU proposal to eliminate Russian oil unrealistic and even counterproductive. Left-wing and liberal pundits also acknowledge the economic cost of an oil embargo, but fear that abandoning or diluting the plan would weaken the EU and benefit Russia. READ MORE
A pro-government and a left-wing commentator both dismiss as exaggerated the Croatian Foreign Ministry’s reaction to Prime Minister Orbán’s remark that Hungary cannot easily replace Russian oil because its sea-coast and ports were taken away from it. READ MORE
Before leaks or rumours spread about substantial compensation to be paid to Hungary for its vote on the ban of oil imports from Russia, a left-wing commentator argued that Hungary stands isolated in the world, while his pro-government counterpart saw Prime Minister Orbán as a key actor on the European scene. READ MORE
A pro-government pundit, as well as his alt-left counterpart, agree that the EU’s proposed embargo on Russian oil would harm the EU more than Russia, and is unlikely to stop the war. READ MORE
As PM Viktor Orbán tells Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, that Hungary cannot accept ‘in its current form’ the Commission’s proposal to impose a ban on oil imports from Russia, the main government daily calls the Commission irresponsible. READ MORE
A pro-government commentator fears that Hungary would find itself in war-like conditions if it has to cut oil imports from Russia, in line with the latest European Commission proposals. READ MORE
A left-wing commentator proposes that Hungarians cut back their consumption of natural gas, to reduce the country’s dependence on Russian supplies. A pro-government columnist accuses the left of betraying the national interest on this issue. READ MORE
A pro-government pundit, known for his highly opinionated comments, finds it natural that the German chancellor doesn’t want gas and oil imports from Russia to stop. He lambasts the left-wing Hungarian media, which regularly accuse PM Orbán of being subservient to Russia if he expresses similar views. READ MORE
A pro-government commentator dismisses a comment by Financial Times Deutschland which brands the government’s endeavour to buy back the German owned main gas supply network as “madness, populism and a return to Goulash-Communism”. READ MORE
Magyar Nemzet believes the corruption charges against the CEO of Hungary’s oil giant were part of the Croatian election campaign and will be dropped soon after the elections. READ MORE