Hungary Faces Nuclear Dilemma as Rosatom Defends Project Costs
Rosatom's CEO is prepared to justify the cost of expanding Hungary's Paks nuclear plant amid concerns from new Prime Minister-elect Peter Magyar about overpricing. Despite Russia's strategic interest, the project faces scrutiny and potential renegotiation as Hungary evaluates the agreement's financial viability, affected by broader EU-Russia tensions.
Rosatom, Russia's state nuclear corporation, has expressed its readiness to justify the financial and operational aspects of its major project in Hungary amid recent criticisms. This comes after Hungary's Prime Minister-elect, Peter Magyar, called out the Paks-2 nuclear plant expansion for being over-inflated in cost.
The project, valued at 12.5 billion euros, was awarded to Rosatom without a competitive bidding process. It's seen as a testament to the strong ties formed between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Hungary's outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Orban's recent electoral defeat to Magyar has cast doubts on the project's future as Magyar contemplates renegotiating or canceling the deal.
In response, Rosatom CEO Alexei Likhachev expressed confidence in the project’s viability. He stated that his corporation is prepared for the rigorous examination of the project's pricing and effectiveness. Despite political tensions, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov noted Russia's optimism for pragmatic discussions with Hungary.
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