Socialists: where is the cheap Russian gas Orbán promised?

The Socialist party is holding forums nationwide in the coming weeks to promote its proposals to address the cost of living crisis, party co-leader Bertalan Tóth told an online press conference streamed on Facebook on Saturday.

The first and most important one is that “the government should stop profiteering on Hungarian families,” Tóth said, referring to rising utility costs. Domestic power production is not influenced by war and inflation, Tóth said. The Paks nuclear power plant generates electricity for 12 forints (EUR 0.029)per kW; it should be sold at cost to consumers, he said.

Gas would not have be sold to household consumers at seven times the earlier price either if Viktor Orbán and Péter Szijjártó told the truth about the long-term gas supply contract signed with Gazprom, Tóth said. They said this contract guaranteed cheap gas in Hungary, he added. If they had told the truth, there would be 4.5 billion cubic metres of cheap gas, which would more than cover the 3.5 million cubic metres of household demand, Tóth said.

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The Socialists are proposing the introduction of a basic utility service that would provide everyone with access to the gas and electricity necessary for subsistence. The VAT on electricity, gas and household fuel should be reduced from the current 27 percent to 5 percent, Tóth said.