Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced that his country will sue the European Union over
its decision to gradually halt imports of Russian gas,
arguing that the move is illegal and contrary to European values.
The Hungarian Prime Minister’s statement came during a radio interview,
as reported by Agence France-Presse.
Orban said: “We do not accept this clearly illegal decision,
which goes against European values.”
Which Brussels chose… We will appeal to the European Court.”
European decision sparks controversy
The Council of the European Union had approved in mid-October 2025 a plan
to end imports of Russian gas as of January 1, 2026.
This includes a transition period for current contracts until January 2028.
The plan stipulated that the embargo could be suspended in case of supply problems.
Brussels is also moving towards completely halting purchases of Russian oil by 2028.
Therefore, it is a decision that still needs the approval of the European Parliament.
Recent data shows that five EU countries purchased €938 million worth
of Russian oil and gas in a single month.
This highlights the continued dependence of some European countries
on Russian energy despite political decisions.
The energy market is under pressure
This controversy comes amid repeated warnings from economic experts
about the state of the European energy market.
At the end of 2024, Mario Draghi—former Italian Prime Minister and former President
of the European Central Bank—presented a report to the European Commission.
He stressed that the Union faces structural problems and a shortage
of natural resources despite claims of success in plans to replace Russian fuel.
According to the report, European gas prices are now four to five times higher than in the United States.
This poses a challenge for both the industry and consumers.
