If the government’s MOL stakes were sold to prop up the budget, the shares would probably go to a friendly buyer who already owns a stake, The Wall Street Journal‘s CEE blog Emerging Europe Real Time wrote in a Friday post.

Such candidates would include Czech utility company CEZ MH B.V., the holder of 7.3%; Oman-based OmanOil Ltd, which has a 7% stake; and United Arab Emirates-based Crescent Petroleum, MOL’s upstream partner, which holds 5.7%, the blog speculated. It also asked the Hungarian government whether it has already started talks with a possible suitor for the state stake, and about the size of the stake that woudl be eventually sold.

“The government, in line with the guidelines of the constitution, manages national assets responsibly and by keeping Hungary’s long-term economic stability in focus. It’s aspiring to increase the asset value, acknowledging the community’s best interests. The government is acting no differently in the case of the MOL stake that recently once again became state-owned,” the development ministry said in its answer to the enquiry.