Bratislava – The Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Fico (Smer-SD), will not support the adoption of another EU sanctions package against Russia until the European Commission (EC) presents realistic proposals on how to align climate goals with the needs of the automotive and heavy industry. He does not rule out that if there is political will, some challenging goals within the EU’s climate policy could be changed. He will not support another sanctions package until the EC presents proposals on electricity prices in Europe. He stated this after a meeting on Thursday with the President of the European Council (EC) Antonio Costa, TASR reports.
Robert Fico stated that during the discussion he raised the question of how to reconcile the challenging climate goals set by the EU with reality. “For example, with the reality of Slovakia, which produces more than a million cars, wants to continue in this sector, and is confronted with high energy prices,” Fico said. He declared that the Union’s ability to respond and find solutions will also influence Slovakia’s stance on further packages of anti-Russian sanctions.
“As Prime Minister, I will not support another package until the European Commission presents realistic proposals on how to align challenging climate goals with the needs of automotive production, not only in Slovakia, and the needs of heavy industry,” he pointed out. He also admitted the possibility of adjusting the established climate goals. “Secondly, I will not support further proposals for anti-Russian sanctions until the EC presents realistic proposals regarding electricity prices in Europe,” Fico emphasized, pointing out that in this regard, the Union’s authorities play a primary role. “How we set it up is how we will have it,” Fico stated.
In connection with setting the EU’s multiannual financial framework, Fico emphasized Slovakia’s national interests, focused on maintaining the cohesion policy setup and also addressing some issues related to trends in the common agricultural policy that do not correspond with the development of Slovak agriculture.
The Prime Minister also articulated the importance of a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Ukraine. “I expressed the wish that the same level of attention and energy that the EU invests in military aid to Ukraine should be invested in peace processes,” Fico stated, convinced that the EU can play a much more significant role in the peace process than it has so far.
The President of the EC highlighted the importance of meeting, listening, and confronting different opinions within the EU. “Based on this ability to discuss and listen, we can strengthen our unity,” declared Antonio Costa. He appreciated the perspective of good Slovak-Ukrainian relations in the future, which also stems from Fico’s meeting with the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He acknowledged the expectations regarding ensuring energy security in relation to economic development, also marking it as a priority for the EU. “This is an example of how security and competitiveness go hand in hand, especially in an industrialized country like Slovakia, which is a pillar of the automotive industry at both the European and global levels,” Costa added. (September 11)
“As Prime Minister, I will not support another package until the European Commission presents realistic proposals on how to align challenging climate goals with the needs of automotive production, not only in Slovakia, and the needs of heavy industry. I will not support further proposals for anti-Russian sanctions until the EC presents realistic proposals regarding electricity prices in Europe” Robert Fico