Hungary is gearing up for a direct confrontation with Brussels, announcing it will take the European Union to court over the bloc’s plan to ban all imports of Russian natural gas. Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó declared Wednesday that Budapest’s legal challenge is already in preparation—and that Slovakia has agreed to coordinate its own legal steps in a rare show of regional unity against EU energy mandates.
The move comes as EU negotiators reached a preliminary deal to phase out Russian LNG and pipeline gas as part of the RePowerEU initiative, with the full ban expected to take effect by autumn 2027. But for Hungary and Slovakia—two countries heavily dependent on Russian energy—the proposal represents not strategy, but threat.
Szijjártó: “We Will Challenge This Immediately”
Speaking from Brussels during a NATO foreign ministers’ meeting, Szijjártó made Budapest’s position unmistakably clear:
“Once RePowerEU is formally adopted, we will immediately challenge it before the European Court of Justice. Legal proceedings will begin without delay.”
On the social platform X, he warned that the EU’s attempt to force member states into a uniform energy policy amounts to a unilateral “dictate from Brussels” that Hungary will never accept.
Szijjártó later told Hungarian reporters, according to TASS, that Budapest will not comply with any ban that jeopardizes its energy supply, calling the proposal “impossible to approve or implement.”
EU Pushes for Full Gas and Oil Ban by 2027
The tentative agreement reached early Wednesday between the European Parliament and the EU Council includes:
- A legally binding ban on all Russian LNG imports beginning in 2026
- A complete prohibition on Russian pipeline gas by autumn 2027
- A separate legislative proposal next year banning all Russian crude oil imports by the end of 2027
Supporters say the plan will free Europe from Kremlin energy leverage. But critics argue it risks undermining energy security—particularly in landlocked states like Hungary and Slovakia, which lack easy alternatives.
Slovakia Aligns With Hungary in Rare Break From Brussels
Szijjártó revealed that he has held talks with Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár, who confirmed that the Slovak government also plans to oppose the gas ban through legal means.
Both ministers reportedly agreed to coordinate their preparations, signaling a growing regional front against what they view as an ideologically driven and economically harmful EU policy.
Slovakia, like Hungary, still relies significantly on Russian pipeline gas and has repeatedly warned that abrupt changes could destabilize its energy system and spike domestic prices.
A Brewing Energy Showdown
As EU states prepare to formally vote on the proposal in the coming weeks, Budapest and Bratislava are positioning themselves for a political and legal fight with Brussels that could shape Europe’s energy future.
If adopted, the gas ban would mark the most sweeping overhaul of EU energy policy in modern history. But with Central Europe rebelling, the road to 2027 may be far more turbulent than Brussels expected.