Steven N.
Gergely Gulyás, Minister of the Prime Minister’s Office (pictured, right), and Zsolt Hernádi, President and CEO of oil and gas company MOL (pictured, left), held an extraordinary press conference on Thursday evening in which it was announced that the government would continue the price cap policy on regular gas and diesel oil.
Gulyás said that unfounded rumors had begun circulating that the government’s price cap policy had become unsustainable, and that the country could not keep providing a domestic supply of fuel.
But the minister assured reporters that there is, and would be, enough fuel to supply the Hungarian market. He blamed gasoline tourism, traffic through the country, and deliberate incitement for the panic that had recently developed.
Minister Gulyás announced that the following restrictions would take effect immediately:
- Gas falling under the 480 Ft./liter price cap will not be allowed for trucks with foreign license plates over 3.5 tons, and Hungarian ones over 7.5 tons.
- Agricultural machinery can continue to refuel at 480 Ft./liter.
- The excise tax on fuel will be reduced by 20 Ft.
- Legal proceedings will be launched against those who cause panic through rumors that induce fear.
- Those who provide fuel illegally will be punished.
- Trucks will be banned on the upcoming four-day-long weekend.
A decree on these measures was published in the Official Gazette that evening, taking effect at 10:00pm. [HVG, 444]
Legal action against those who cause “panic” and “fear” i.e. sounds like the Orban regime is-once again-following the Putin model, as the Ornan regime did with the earlier anti LGBT hysteria.
The sword cuts both ways though: https://hungarianpolitics.com/2022/03/12/momentum-reports-mol-ceo-hernadi-for-inciting-panic-with-fake-photo/