Viktor Orban, Hungary’s prime minister, has awarded a Russian state-owned company with a €12.5bn nuclear power project.

This contract – a new attempt from the Hungarian Government to forge closer bonds with the Kremlin – includes the construction of two new reactors and the refurbishment of another two additional reactors.

This contract alarmed European Commission officials, who objected to the intergovernmental contract due to the lack of a transparent tender. This controversial contract puts the EU’s own dependence on Russian energy at stake, as well as the principles of the Euratom Treaty and the EU’s rules on public procurement.

The tender process is politically sensitive, with many EU countries seeking to reduce their dependence on Russian energy – a leverage tool thought by many to be used by the Kremlin in order to achieve their political and economic aims over recent years.

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