Hungary must begin an “environmental revolution” in 2009 and wean itself off traditional energy sources, Gabor Fodor, leader of the liberal opposition Alliance of Free Democrats, told MTI in an interview on Thursday.
Fodor, a former environment minister, said that transforming the country’s energy policy would unleash “serious opportunities” for the economy, as well as for science, research and innovation.
“Problems are caused the world over by the fact that economies are dependent on gas and oil,” he said.
Fodor predicted that 2009 would be dominated by both energy crises and the economic and financial crises.
Speaking about domestic politics, he rejected the programme of main conservative opposition party Fidesz, saying it remained unclear what the party wanted to achieve. At the same time, the current economic circumstances dictate that stability should be maintained, he said, adding that this was the main reason the liberals had backed this year’s budget of the minority Socialist government.
He said that the Socialists, however, were unable to provide the right solutions to most of the issues facing Hungary. The government lacks any unified conception for how to create change, he insisted.
Fodor, who presides over a fractured party polling around 1-2 percent in most surveys, said he was confident that the Free Democrats would be able to send representatives to the European Parliament.
Meanwhile his colleague Koka calls for the construction of a new gas pipeline,Nabucco.
Typical Liberals sitting on both sides of the fence but criticising everybody else.