“Our climate policy should be guided by careful consideration and common sense, not by ideology, alarmism, and panic,” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán warned at the United Nations’ annual Climate Change Conference (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan on Tuesday, November 12th.
He added that EU policy on climate should align with the opinion and the interests of European citizens. “We cannot sacrifice our industry or agriculture in this process,” he emphasised, adding that while the green transition must move forward, we have “to maintain our use of natural gas, oil, and nuclear energy.”
Viktor Orbán also warned that farms should not pay the price for climate policy.
Farmers are the backbone of our economy and society. We must offer them stability and predictability to thrive. We cannot impose unrealistic quotas or burdensome rules on farmers and companies, but should offer practical support for them. The green transition and the fight against climate change should not be done against the business community, but together with it.
Farmers have borne the brunt of the European Green Deal. The programme, which has set a goal of ‘net zero’ emissions of greenhouse gases by the year 2050, has imposed limits on permitted fertilisers and pesticides as well as pushing ways to “halt biodiversity loss,” including ordering the fallowing or ‘rewilding’ of previously productively worked farmland.
At the beginning of this year, farmers from all around Europe descended onto the streets of Brussels, and the capitals of France, Germany, and the Netherlands, to name a few, demanding the reversal of the EU’s radical green policies. The Green Deal was loudly rejected at this summer’s European elections, as a growing number of citizens voted for right-wing parties that advocate more pragmatic climate policies, that don’t burden farmers and businesses unnecessarily.
The six-month Hungarian EU presidency, which started in July and ends in December, has been keen to promote a farmer-oriented agricultural policy, stating that climate change, growing input costs, increasing imports from third countries, and overly stringent production rules have significantly decreased the competitiveness of the sector. “It is essential to view agriculture not as a cause of climate change, but as part of the solution, by engaging farmers in adopting more sustainable production practices,” the programme highlights.
In his speech on Tuesday, Viktor Orbán also stressed that “our mission is to make Europe more competitive, and we approach climate potential with this vision in our mind.” He reminded his audience of the Competitiveness Deal that was struck by EU leaders in Budapest last week, which envisages drastically reducing administrative and regulatory burdens, strengthening the EU’s technological capabilities, while at the same time pursuing climate neutrality by 2050.
“We are proud that Hungary is among the few countries of the world in recent years which has been able to enhance its economic performance parallel to decreasing its emissions,” the prime minister said.
Hungary has been pursuing an energy policy that balances a range of sources in a bid to maintain energy security at a time of insecurity and the threat of power cuts due to the ongoing war between neighbouring Ukraine and Russia. The Budapest government has kept importing Russian oil and gas, while at the same time expanding its nuclear power plant, and increasing the usage of green energy sources.
“Hungary stands out in Europe with the lowest household energy costs, while also achieving one of the highest rates of green energy expansion over the past several years,” Orbán noted. He said his country will continue to invest in its nuclear industry, and the expansion of the nuclear power plant in the southern city of Paks will be able to fulfil 70% of the country’s electricity needs.
He recalled that Hungary has sought to position itself in a way that would make it a major player in the development of electric vehicles and the storage of power.
