The EU’s climate targets are facing growing political resistance, with critics calling them unrealistic, expensive, and disconnected from economic reality.
On Wednesday, July 2nd, the European Union unveiled its latest target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 2040—a move that drew strong backlash, particularly from parties on the European right.
Hungary’s Minister for EU Affairs, János Bóka, slammed the proposal as “unrealistic” and “extremely damaging.” He argued that countries like China, India, and the U.S. would never adopt such voluntary commitments, leaving the EU at a competitive disadvantage.
“Once again, Brussels has it backwards: what will drive a green transition is not unrealistic climate targets, but a strong, competitive European economy,” Bóka said.
Robert Telus, former Polish agriculture minister and a member of the opposition Law and Justice (PiS) party, echoed the criticism, calling the agreement a threat to national sovereignty. He warned it would harm Polish agriculture, industry, and the labour market, while opening the door for non-European states to dominate the EU market.
Czech MEP Ondřej Knotek, from the right-wing sovereigntist party ANO, went further, calling the plan “complete madness.” He said it would lead to rising prices while limiting people’s freedom of choice in heating and transport.
The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group in the European Parliament also issued a statement, warning: “Now’s no time for pipe dreams. Europe must face reality and pursue a pragmatic, evidence-based approach to future climate policy.”
