As the news of the results of the recent Hungarian parliamentary elections have made headlines around the world, many are wondering what to expect from the upcoming government under the TISZA party. Below a short summary explains what the new government may plan on energy and climate.
While the new TISZA government has not yet been formed yet in Hungary, there is already some information available on the future plans on climate and energy polices laid out in the party’s programme and in their recent public communications. We will be providing a short overview what can be expected from the new Hungarian TISZA government.
| The TISZA Party (Respect and Freedom Party) is a Hungarian centre to centre-right, conservative and pro-European political force. Founded in 2020, it rose rapidly after 2024 under the new leadership of Péter Magyar, a former Fidesz member. “TISZA” is not only the acronym of the party’s name, but also the Hungarian name of its second largest river, as well as the name of former Hungarian Prime Minister István Tisza (early 20th century). The party achieved major electoral success, winning 7 seats in the European Parliament in 2024 and a two-thirds parliamentary majority in Hungary’s 2026 election, ending Viktor Orbán’s long rule. TISZA advocates closer ties with the EU and NATO, adoption of the euro, and strong anti-corruption measures. It also promotes institutional reforms, including judicial independence, stronger checks and balances, and term limits for the prime minister. |
Main figures of future energy and climate policies
The two ministers, who may be responsible for energy and environment have already been announced by the Prime Minister Elect Péter Magyar.
The energy portfolio’s future minister is expected to be István Kapitány, who is a Hungarian former business leader who built a decades-long international career at Shell, rising to one of the highest global executive positions held by a Hungarian manager. He recently entered politics as a key economic and energy expert for the TISZA Party. His profile combines extensive multinational corporate experience with a policy agenda focused on economic stability, investment confidence, and reform of Hungary’s energy and development strategy.
The future minister responsible for environmental protection, nature conservation, and animal welfare will be László Gajdos, who led the zoo he founded in Nyíregyháza for 30 years. Gajdos, who is highly popular locally, entered the new National Assembly as an individual candidate: he won Constituency No. 1 of Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County with 64.77% of the vote, receiving more than twice as many votes as his Fidesz opponent.
Main avenues of future energy and climate policies
While the new ministries have not yet been formed, the programme of the TISZA party is available while the recent press event held by PM elect Magyar already sheds some light on energy, climate and environment policies of the future government. In general, the new government is aiming for more cooperation with its Western allies in Brussels and in NATO, while also plans to rejuvenate the country’s relations with the Visegrád country group.
The TISZA Party outlines an energy policy centered on affordability, independence, and sustainability. It proposes extending regulated energy price protections (“Rezsicsökkentés Plusz”) to both households and businesses while directly addressing energy poverty through targeted subsidies, reduced VAT on firewood, and expanded social support. A major pillar is large-scale investment of around HUF 1,000 billion from EU funds into energy efficiency, storage capacity, and the annual renovation of roughly 100,000 homes.
Strategically, the party aims to eliminate dependence on Russian energy by 2035 and significantly expand renewables, especially wind and geothermal by 2040, alongside modernizing grid infrastructure. It also calls for a transparent nuclear policy, including a review of the Paks II project, and emphasizes that restoring EU funding and investor confidence is essential to financing the transition. Overall, the approach combines short-term cost relief with long-term structural transformation toward a more resilient and diversified energy system.
The programme integrates climate policy across energy, environment, and infrastructure, aiming for near carbon-neutral energy use while embedding efficiency as a core economic principle. Large-scale building renovations, industrial efficiency gains, and expanded renewables are combined with adaptation measures such as water retention, ecosystem restoration, and tighter environmental regulation, reflecting Hungary’s exposure to drought, heat, and resource stress. Rather than isolating climate policy, the program treats decarbonization as part of a broader transformation toward sustainability, resilience, and energy independence.
Transport policy is positioned as a central climate lever, with a strong emphasis on shifting mobility toward low-emission modes. Railway modernization is elevated to a national priority, drawing on the models of Czech Republic, Poland, and Austria to build a fast, reliable, and competitive rail system. This modal shift is intended to reduce road emissions while improving connectivity, logistics efficiency, and economic performance, supported by stronger alignment with EU funding and regulatory frameworks.
Complementing this, the party’s “Clean Hungary” program focuses on stricter environmental governance and institutional reform: tougher inspections and rapid sanctions against polluters, continuous monitoring of high-impact industries such as battery manufacturing, and comprehensive waste management reform to eliminate illegal dumping. It also proposes a dedicated ministry integrating environmental protection, water management, and animal welfare, alongside stronger protection of national parks and Natura 2000 areas, zero tolerance for illegal construction, and a nationwide land-use review. A key structural objective is to make Hungary a “water-retaining” country by restoring natural water cycles and landscape-level retention capacity, addressing systemic water vulnerability.
Summary
All in all, the TISZA Party presents a coherent, systems-level approach that aligns well with EU decarbonization and resilience priorities, particularly through its emphasis on energy efficiency, rail modernization, and water management. However, the framework remains high-level at the moment, with key uncertainties around implementation capacity, financing, and the political feasibility of enforcing stricter regulation on major industrial actors. Once the new government is formed and more is known if and when the locked EU funds can be mobilised, we will know more about the future path of Hungary’s new energy and climate policies.
