Hungary has officially appealed to the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg to annul the REPowerEU regulation, which provides for a complete phased withdrawal of EU countries from Russian energy imports.
This was announced by Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade. According to him, the lawsuit was filed immediately after the relevant decision of the EU Council, published on 2 February 2026, came into force.
The key arguments of the Hungarian side are as follows:
A ban on energy imports can only be imposed through a sanctions mechanism requiring a unanimous decision by all 27 EU member states;
The decision was taken under the guise of a trade measure by a qualified majority, which, according to Budapest, violates the basic principles of EU treaties and the energy competence of national governments;
The ban threatens Hungary’s energy security and undermines the government’s programme to maintain low utility prices for the population.
Szijjártó predicts that the legal proceedings will last between one and a half and two years. Hungary has repeatedly stated that it will continue to purchase ‘cheap Russian oil and gas,’ considering alternative sources too expensive and unreliable.
Slovakia has also previously announced its intention to challenge the ban in court, but no official lawsuit has been filed by Bratislava yet.
This move by Budapest is yet another manifestation of the acute conflict between Hungary and most EU countries over energy and foreign policy towards Russia.