Europe is witnessing a utility price crisis and Brussels bears a clear responsibility for it, according to the government’s communications director.

Istvan Hollik, the communications director of Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party, has posted a short video on his social media on Saturday. In it, he says Brussels has forced the dismantling of conventional energy production in Europe under the heading of climate protection, while liberalising the gas and electricity markets without any transition. This has left people and businesses at the mercy of energy suppliers, and now they say there is nothing they can do about high prices,” he said.

The Hungarian left also shares this position held by Brussels, but “we already know how this goes,” the politician added. Mr Hollik recalled that before 2010, during the tenure of Ferenc Gyurcsany’s Socialist government, household utility prices have tripled.

“In our opinion, (…) cutting utility prices was the only possible decision,” the communications director said with regard to the measures introduced by the Fidesz.led government, emphasizing that before those, utility prices in Hungary were among the highest in Europe, while now they are one of the lowest.

Brussels is now trying to disguise its plans to increase prices as part of a climate protection scheme, which means an extension of the EU’s emissions trading scheme to road transport, i.e. cars, as well as buildings, houses and apartments, he said.

“They’re talking about climate protection while trying to introduce a new tax, This would cost HUF 32,000 (€90) a month to Hungarian people,” Mr Hollik pointed out.

He added that the Hungarian government – together with the V4 countries – would reject Brussels’ plans and veto the EU’s climate tax plan, “because we believe that the price of climate protection should not be paid by the people of Europe and Hungary, but by the big climate destroying multinational companies.”