MOSCOW, October 12. /TASS/. The European Commission’s leadership is the key organizer of the smear campaign against Russia’s nuclear corporation Rosatom and its participation in the construction of the Paks-1 Nuclear Power Plant in Hungary, the press service of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) said in a statement.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has tasked officials with persuading the Hungarian government to reject cooperation with Russia in the nuclear sector.

TASS has summarized the key statements by the SVR.

"Brussels has launched a smear campaign against Rosatom."

According to incoming information, "it is the European Commission’s leadership that is the key mastermind behind the smear media campaign against the Rosatom corporation and its participation in the construction of the Paks-2 Nuclear Power Plant in Hungary, which has been set in motion in Europe."

The Brussels-controlled Politico Europe media outlet is acting as the main platform for the propaganda campaign against Russia’s nuclear corporation Rosatom: "Politico Europe, a media outlet controlled by Brussels, has been selected as the ‘mouthpiece’ for the information campaign," it said. "Pseudo-journalist Ben Makuch, who previously specialized in disseminating ‘political propaganda’ about Russia and has now become an ‘energy expert,’ has been appointed as the main instigator."

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen explicitly tasked officials with forcing the Hungarian government to abandon cooperation with Russia in the nuclear energy sector: "Ursula von der Layan has explicitly tasked her office with forcing the Peter Magyar government to stop cooperating with Russia in the area of the peaceful use of nuclear energy."

She believes that her active role in ousting Rosatom from Hungary and replacing it with a Western company will be "duly appreciated": "The European Commission chief already has extensive experience in self-serving lobbying for the interests of large corporations and concluding dubious multibillion-dollar contracts. The most vivid example was the contract with the American company Pfizer for the supply of a coronavirus vaccine."

"The globalist sect running the European Union takes no account of the views and interests of Hungarians."

The European Union has forced Hungary to choose between giving in to the "information noise" being stirred up by Brussels, which would deprive the country of a reliable source of electricity generation, and standing up for its citizens’ interests: "The Hungarian authorities will have to make a difficult choice: either give in to the information noise being stirred up by Brussels and deprive the country of a reliable source of electricity generation capable of ensuring national energy security for decades to come, or stand firm and defend the interests of their citizens."

"EU bureaucrats have openly admitted the inability of European manufacturers to compete fairly with Rosatom on the nuclear energy market. Moreover, any alternative for the construction of Hungary’s Paks-2 facility will be less effective and more dangerous."

Hungary’s new government led by Prime Minister Peter Magyar plans to decide whether to continue construction of the Paks-2 NPP under the Russian project by the yearend, Hungarian Economy and Energy Minister Istvan Kapitany said.

According to the minister, the government is also considering extending the operating life of the existing nuclear power plant in Paks, so that it can continue operating for another 20 years beyond 2032.

The campaign program of the Tisza party that won the April 12 parliamentary elections in Hungary stated that if it came to power, it would "thoroughly review" the project for the construction of a new nuclear power plant.

After being elected prime minister, Magyar announced plans to analyze all the contracts for the construction of an NPP in Paks, which he claimed were heavily overpriced.

According to Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev, his corporation is ready to engage in dialogue with Hungary’s new government "to give answers to any questions" about the Paks-2 project "in the language of figures."

In August, Magyar questioned the validity of the environmental permit issued for the construction of the Paks 2 nuclear power plant.

Amid the Danube water level falling, Budapest is considering a complete review of the financial strategy for the Paks-2 NPP construction, which could affect the timeline for completion of the work.