Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Oct 06, 2025

EU’s green energy policy must be based on economic & climate concerns, not political competition

EU’s green energy policy must be based on economic & climate concerns, not political competition

Europe’s clean energy initiatives should be based on a rational long-term strategy, including both the needs of economic development and environmental protection, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto told RT.

Hungary was the first European nation to ratify the Paris climate agreement, Szijjarto said, adding that Budapest would very much like to see Europe achieving the goals set out in the European Green Deal – a set of policy initiatives aimed at making the EU climate-neutral by 2050.

However, the pursuit of these goals, which involves EU states cutting emissions by at least 50% by 2030 (compared to 1990 levels) should not turn into an irrational political debate or senseless competition, the foreign minister told RT.

Szijjarto said EU nations need a viable long-term strategy that considers economic development as well as climate concerns, which he said can go hand-in-hand, adding that disrupting this balance will undermine the credibility of green policies.

Gas, including that supplied by Russia, “must be considered one of the main sources of energy when it comes to the transition period,” the foreign minister said.

Unfortunately, some European politicians have let themselves be guided by political squabbles, he said, adding that “there is a very strong anti-gas sentiment in some circles in European politics,” amid continued tensions between Brussels and Moscow.

Szijjarto criticized what he called “very short-sighted decisions” from the European side, and called for a setting aside of politics and a return to “normality, common sense, and rationality” regarding energy strategy, including gas supplies.


“The delivery routes are there. If we can utilize the delivery routes, I do not think there should be a problem during the winter,” he said.

The FM’s words come amid soaring gas prices in Europe. Some nations have seen prices rise by as much as 250% in recent days, with a knock-on effect being felt in the industry. Homeowners also face higher heating bills with winter fast approaching. Several energy companies in the UK, which has seen some of the sharpest increases, have entered into talks with the government to prevent them from potentially going bust.

Some European politicians were quick to blame the development on Russia – something Moscow has repeatedly denied. Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last month that Russian energy giant Gazprom was fulfilling all of its commitments under the contracts with its European partners.

Earlier, President Vladimir Putin said Russia could supply additional gas to Europe, while blaming the soaring prices on European leaders’ decision to opt out of long-term gas contracts in favor of spot prices, which opened the door to stock market speculation.

Reliance on wind farms could be another factor behind the crisis, since it resulted in a shortage of electricity, Putin said.

Last week, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban blamed the record prices on “bureaucrats in Brussels” who are fighting for ecology by continuously raising the price of energy generated from coal and gas. He also said the EU should abandon its climate policies if they are the reason for the crisis.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
France Names New Government Amid Political Crisis
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
Disney Reinstates ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ after Six-Day Suspension over Charlie Kirk Comments
U.S. Prosecutors Move to Break Up Google’s Advertising Monopoly
×