Politician: Government is amateurish or lazy, but we can overcome the crisis together

Hungarian politician Piroska Szalai has criticized the government's energy strategy, particularly its decision to remove planned 1650 MW gas-fired power plants in Tiszaújváros and Visonta from an EU funding plan. Instead, the government included 4000 MW of wind power capacity. Szalai argues this shift is a mistake, as even full operation of the wind farms would only yield about 400 MW, a fraction of the needed capacity.

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The government's amateurism is evident here; unfortunately, they are easily misled by lobbyists.

Szalai attributes this decision to the government's "amateurism" and susceptibility to lobbyists, suggesting they were easily misled. She called on citizens to take personal responsibility for energy conservation, regardless of the government's perceived inaction. Practical advice includes programming washing machines and dishwashers to run after 10 p.m., maintaining home temperatures below 17 degrees Celsius before 5 p.m. using air conditioning, and employing traditional methods like curtains and early morning ventilation.

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If the current government did not have time to implement substantive policy measures and has led us into this situation, we should still do everything we can.

The politician also advised reviewing home investments related to insulation and shading, such as shutters or window replacements. Szalai expressed concern that the government might use the current energy crisis and expensive electricity purchases as justification to abolish or significantly reduce energy subsidies, a move she believes is expected by the EU and other foreign powers. She urged the public to remain vigilant and speak out against such potential austerity measures.

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I unfortunately fear that because the EU and other foreign powers expect the government to abolish or significantly narrow the scope of subsidized utilities, they will justify this austerity measure with the expensive electricity purchases made during the current crisis situation. Let's pay attention and speak out against it then!