Energy Governance in Hungary

In Knodt, M. and Kemmerzell, J. (Eds.) Handbook of Energy Governance in Europe. Cham: Springer (2020)

Posted: 26 Feb 2021

See all articles by John Szabo

John Szabo

Independent

Csaba Weiner

Hungarian Academy of Sciences (HAS) - Institute of World Economics

Andras Deak

Independent; HAS CERS IWE

Date Written: October 7, 2020

Abstract

Hungarian energy governance conveys a unique disposition, filled with contradictions, lacking clarity, but reflecting centralized control at the highest echelons of politics. Like many of its Central and Eastern European (CEE) neighbors, it is still entrenched in preexisting producer-consumer relations that shape its amicable relations with Russia, while its accession to the European Union has led it to take on disruptive climate and energy policy targets. The country’s energy transition has been unfolding slowly, as the government maintains a moderate pace of action. The diffusion of renewables continues to unfold in the shadow of other historical legacies, most prominently Russia-sourced nuclear power technology, natural gas, and oil. Power and control over energy corporations is concentrated in the hands of those closely aligned with the government, and multilevel governance is subordinated to anticipate or execute the objectives dictated by political leaders. Challenges mount in the Hungarian sector as we move towards the 2030 and 2050 EU decarbonization targets, which will pressure the government to implement much more disruptive measures, severing and rewriting historical energy-based ties.

Keywords: energy governance, Hungary, lock-in, government control, centralization, energy transition

Suggested Citation

Szabo, John and Weiner, Csaba and Deak, Andras and Deak, Andras, Energy Governance in Hungary (October 7, 2020). In Knodt, M. and Kemmerzell, J. (Eds.) Handbook of Energy Governance in Europe. Cham: Springer (2020), Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3719779

John Szabo

Independent ( email )

Csaba Weiner (Contact Author)

Hungarian Academy of Sciences (HAS) - Institute of World Economics ( email )

Tóth Kálmán utca 4
Budapest, 1097
Hungary

Andras Deak

Independent ( email )

HAS CERS IWE ( email )

HOME PAGE: http://www.vki.hu

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