The end of the long-running political spat over the Druzhba pipeline, which brings Russian oil into Europe, is largely down to the change of government in Hungary, TVP’s news director has said. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy confirmed on Tuesday that a damaged section of the pipeline has been repaired and is ready to “resume operation.” In return, EU countries are expected to sign off on a delayed €90 billion loan to Ukraine, which had been blocked by Hungary – one of two European states that still import Russian crude – until the pipeline is restored. Adam Jasser, news director at TVP World, said on the channel’s News in Depth program that “finally this dispute over Druzhba is coming to an end.” “This chapter is now closed, but the decisive factor in this was, of course, the Hungarian election,” he said. The outgoing pro-Russian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was defeated in a landslide on April 12 by his EU-friendly rival, Péter Magyar. While Jasser said that economic mismanagement, the drop in living standards and “the perception of widespread corruption and sleaze” were the top reasons for Orbán’s ousting, the expected removal of Hungary’s veto over the €90 billion loan is a key consequence. Romania under pressure TVP World’s news director also addressed political turmoil in the Balkans. In Romania, Jasser said, the coalition is “on the brink of collapse.” He described it as an “uncomfortable coalition” built mainly “to hold back the far right,” but now strained by debt, weak growth and the threat of austerity. Romania, he said, is suffering from “too much debt” and “stagnating living standards,” while “no one wants to take responsibility for austerity.” Bulgaria’s protest vote In Bulgaria, Jasser said the recent election may “actually bring stability.” But he warned against exaggerating fears of a geopolitical shift under Rumen Radev, who has previously professed sympathy for Russia. “His room to maneuver for a significant policy change is limited,” Jasser said. “Bulgaria is too dependent on the European Union,” and remains “structurally in the European mainstream.” The result, he argued, was “mostly a massive protest vote” against corruption, sleaze and years of instability. Slovenia still stuck Slovenia, by contrast, remains deadlocked following elections in March. “In Slovenia it’s a hung parliament,” Jasser said. “We don’t exactly know what’s going to happen there.” His broader conclusion was that “Balkan instability is a cliché,” but the anger driving politics across the region is real. The common thread, he said, is public frustration with corruption, weak growth and political stagnation.
