While Bulgaria and other Balkan countries have been trying to turn back time by resuscitating South Stream, Hungary has taken a stride into the future. The Associated Press comments that “Little Putin” met Putin in Budapest. A nickname that speaks for itself given to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban who appeared on the international scene in the 1980s as an anti-Soviet student leader. His transformation into a populist, flirting with the Kremlin and crushing any dissention is a reflection of a bigger picture of East European history in which rebelling against Moscow has gradually been giving rise to mixed feelings with regard to the giant Russia. The leaders of Hungary, Serbia, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Bulgaria have more and more often been playing on both sides – playing up to the wealthy countries of the EU while flirting with Russia.

And while Bulgaria and other Balkan countries have been trying to turn back time by resuscitating South Stream, Hungary made its way to a leadership position in European energy policy. The results of the visit to Budapest by Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed the ability of the ruling Hungarian elite to analyse the situation in Europe but also pointed to an entirely new way to improve relations between Moscow and Brussels.

Instead of wasting its breath on presenting Russia’s claims Budapest gave its support to the construction of the Turkish Stream gas pipeline project stating it wanted to be a key partner to Russia in the new plan for the transportation of Russian fuel to Europe, circumventing Ukraine. Orban did not avoid the subject of European sanctions stating that Russia’s isolation by Europe was impractical.

Russia confirmed it wanted to build partnership relations with Hungary within the Turkish Stream project, as long as the country did not stand in its way. Putin stated that parts of South Stream can be built across Turkey. He also talked of joint ventures with Hungary, Serbia and Baumgarten, Austria, of course, provided the desire for cooperation is there. Serbia’s reaction however came as a surprise. Belgrade took offence and circulated an article from the German Süddeutsche Zeitung focusing once again on a subject worn threadbare – the buying out of the Serb monopolist Naftna Industrija Srbije (NIS) by Gazprom Neft. According to Süddeutsche Zeitung the Russian side paid less than one fifth of the value of NIS. But the article makes no mention of the fact that the company was facing bankruptcy or of the investment commitments to Russia amounting to EUR 500 million or that the NIS could become part of the new configuration of European energy flows. Not to mention the fact that a stop to the transiting of Russian gas to Europe via Ukraine may not be so far away. Turkish stream is scheduled to be launched on 30 December 2016.

English: Milena Daynova