Bratislava – Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) declared on Wednesday that Slovakia will never support the European Commission’s REPowerEU plan for gas supplies. According to the Prime Minister, it will harm Slovak households and the economy and further reduce the competitiveness of the entire EU. The plan developed by the European Commission anticipates halting Russian gas supplies to EU member states by 2028. Fico stated this in a letter addressed to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, which he published on social media, TASR reports.
Fico published the letter shortly after Reuters reported, citing four diplomats working with the EU, that the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Governments of the Member States to the EU (COREPER) did not agree on the adoption of the 18th package of anti-Russian sanctions at Wednesday’s meeting. Slovakia disagreed with the new sanctions, and according to two sources, Malta also raised objections.
Slovakia cannot use the veto right on the REPowerEU proposal
“I realize that Slovakia cannot use the veto right on the REPowerEU proposal. We consider this proposal a sanction, and therefore we naturally associate it with the proposal of the 18th sanctions package against the Russian Federation. We therefore expect that the vote on the 18th package may only take place after resolving a substantial part of the risks associated with REPowerEU in terms of gas supplies from 2028,” Fico explained his position.
According to the Prime Minister, there is no consensus in the Slovak political scene regarding the acceptance of the content of the letter that the EC President addressed to the Slovak Prime Minister on Tuesday. Von der Leyen presented in it a proposal for guarantees regarding the planned cessation of Russian natural gas supplies to the EU.
Fico pointed out that representatives of the business sector took an extremely negative stance on the content of the letter, and according to the Prime Minister, it is not supported even by opposition parties, which otherwise agree with the cessation of Russian gas supplies after January 1, 2028.
“Under the given circumstances, I would like to ask you to use the following hours and days to continue the dialogue between the Slovak government and the EC, primarily in the interest of a clear interpretation of the commitments that the EC undertakes at the political level and which are formulated in your letter of July 15, 2025. Until then, Slovakia will request a postponement of the vote on the 18th sanctions package,” Fico declared.
The 18th set of sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine was presented by the European Commission on June 10. (July 16)
“We expect that the vote on the 18th package may only take place after resolving a substantial part of the risks associated with REPowerEU in terms of gas supplies from 2028.” Robert Fico
