The Hungarian government declared a state of emergency in the energy sector, the head of the Prime Minister's Office announced on Wednesday.
"Due to the protracted war [in Ukraine] and Brussels sanctions [against Russia], prices for energy carriers have skyrocketed across Europe, and an energy crisis has erupted in large parts of the continent," Gergely Gulyas said as quoted by the MIT news agency.
"In recent days, it has become clear that Europe will most likely not have enough gas for the autumn-winter heating season," Gulyas added, noting that this decision was made following a meeting with Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
He also indicated that the Hungarian government adopted a seven-point action plan, which will enter into force in August, to provide energy to Hungarian families and the country's economy.
The Prime Minister highlighted that the government plan will include measures such as increasing domestic gas production, expanding gas purchases from abroad, limiting the use of gas at preferential prices, in addition to a temporary ban on the export of certain types of energy carriers.
Under the new measures, the state will expand coal mining, accelerate the restart of a number of capacities of the Matra power plant, and extend the service life of the Paks nuclear power plant, built according to Soviet technologies and using Russian nuclear fuel.
Through these emergency measures, the government expects to ensure a normal energy supply in the country at reasonable prices, according to the head of the prime minister's office.
"We want to guarantee Hungary's energy security and reduce utility bills for the population," Gulyas stressed.
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