The construction site of the Paks II Nuclear Power Plant. Paks, Hungary, 22 September 2023. Photo: EPA/TIBOR ILLYES HUNGARY OUT
Hungary's change of government will not affect construction of the Russian-built Paks II nuclear power plant, a senior Russian lawmaker said following Sunday's defeat of Viktor Orbán's party in parliamentary elections.
“We have a state-to-state contract — members of the government have no way to influence it,” Igor Ananskikh, first deputy chairman of the State Duma’s Energy Committee, told the outlet Podyom. “Even if someone wanted to interfere, it simply isn’t possible. Construction is already at an advanced stage, and changing contractors at this point is out of the question.”
The plant, located on the banks of the Danube, reached a key milestone in February when workers poured the first concrete for the lead reactor unit — a moment both the IAEA director general and Rosatom's chief hailed as historic. Orbán declared the project "irreversible" at the time.
Ananskikh said he expects no disruption going forward. "We'll be finishing this no matter what," he said.
Hungarian opposition leader Péter Magyar and his Tisza party won a landslide victory on Sunday, ending the tenure of the European Union's longest-serving head of government. During his final years in power, Orbán had repeatedly moved to obstruct E.U. sanctions against Russia and block military aid to Ukraine. The weeks leading up to the vote were marked by a series of leaks revealing that the Fidesz government had routinely coordinated with Moscow to advance Russian interests and shared confidential information with the Kremlin.
