Hungarian PM Hits Back at Gas Companies' Court Win

Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orban, has described the overturning of a gas price reduction in his country as "scandalous."

The prime minister was spoke in Hungarian parliament today, following the decision of a court to overturn a government mandate. The mandate, which was imposed on various gas companies in January 2013, dictated that the companies should reduce the cost of gas to the consumer by 10 per cent.

However, the gas companies, which include GDF Suez and RWE, appealed the decision saying that the utilities would end up costing them unfairly. The companies appealed to the Municipal Court of the Hungarian Energy Office, which found in their favour.

A defiant Prime Minister Orban vowed today that he would push for even greater reductions in gas prices from what he described as "greedy and unscrupulous companies". He urged every Hungarian to stand with him in defiance of the ruling and to not take on the "unfair burden" that the gas companies were trying to oppose on them.