Energy waste: The European Parliament will consider the rejection of gas from the Russian Federation at the end of June.

In the last week of June, the European Parliament will vote on a roadmap for the EU's abandonment of Russian gas, MP Tomasz Zdechowski told Izvestia. Earlier, the European Commission announced a plan to stop importing Russian energy resources by the end of 2027. In order to circumvent the veto of Budapest and Bratislava, Brussels intends to make a decision by a qualified majority with the support of the European Parliament. The rejection of Russian gas will hit the industries of Hungary and Slovakia, as well as reduce the chances of their leaders to be re-elected, experts say. See the Izvestia article about which other countries may oppose the European Commission's plan.

What does the EU's roadmap for rejecting gas from Russia suggest?

On May 6, the European Commission published a plan to phase out Russian energy sources by 2027. The EC has submitted specific proposals.

"The European Parliament is expected to vote on this roadmap at its plenary session in the last week of June 2025," Tomasz Zdechowski, a member of Parliament from the largest faction of the European People's Party, told Izvestia.

The new document suggests that imports under current short-term contracts should be stopped by June 17, 2026. Deliveries under long-term agreements can be carried out until the end of 2027, their termination will be considered force majeure, that is, it will not become a reason for litigation with Gazprom, they assure in Brussels.

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Moreover, these measures will apply to both pipeline gas and LNG. As a result, by January 1, 2028, the EU must completely abandon Russian natural gas. To do this, all countries need to develop substitution programs.

Since 2022, Brussels has consistently rejected Russian energy supplies. An embargo on coal has been in effect since August of that year, a ban on oil imports was introduced in December, and petroleum products since February 2023. An exception was made only for Slovakia and Hungary, they receive oil through the Druzhba pipeline. The Czech Republic, Poland and Germany were also allowed to buy Russian products. Warsaw and Berlin have stopped relying on an exception to the oil embargo since June 23, 2023, and Prague has fully switched to supplying non-Russian oil since April 2025.

The EU also plans to abandon Russian uranium, but the deadline has been postponed to the early 2030s. Moreover, Brussels will have to spend €241 billion to create supply chains, the Financial Times newspaper has learned.

How Hungary and Slovakia are resisting Brussels' plans

Technically, Slovakia and Hungary can abandon Russian gas, the question is about the price. As a result, the volume of production will decrease, because with high prices, many goods are simply unprofitable to produce in these countries. They will cease to be competitive in the global market, Igor Yushkov, an expert at the Financial University and the National Energy Security Fund, said in an interview with Izvestia.

The automotive industry accounts for about 15% of Slovakia's GDP and half of the country's exports. The republic produces about 1 million cars a year, and it ranks first in the world in terms of car production per capita. Hungary also produces cars.: Audi, Opel and Suzuki products account for 17% of the total Hungarian exports. Budapest is also actively engaged in the export of agricultural products. An increase in the cost of energy resources will increase production costs, and the two republics will lose their competitive advantages.

— Belgium and France also spoke out against it, through which Russian LNG enters deep into Europe, for example, to Germany. France's Total Energy has a 20% stake in the Yamal LNG project. Austria also announced the possibility of returning to normal cooperation after the end of the conflict in Ukraine. Because Austria has been the most important hub in Europe for more than 50 years, thanks first to Soviet and then to Russian gas," the expert noted.

It is worth noting that parliamentary elections will be held in Hungary in 2026, and in Slovakia they are scheduled for 2027. According to polls, Viktor Orban's Fidesz party is lagging behind the leading opposition force Tisa by 15 percentage points. In Slovakia, the ruling SMER party is on a par with the opposition, but the struggle is expected to be intense. The increase in energy prices and the general rise in the cost of living will hit the ruling circles of Budapest and Bratislava even harder. Therefore, both governments are interested in continuing to supply Russian gas as the most profitable option.

The way the roadmap is adopted is extremely important for the implementation of the EC plan. According to the Lisbon Treaty, foreign policy decisions must be approved by all EU member states. However, Slovakia and Hungary have already spoken out against it. Therefore, the EC intends not to accept the refusal of gas from the Russian Federation as sanctions, but to use another mechanism — an enhanced qualified majority. It requires the consent of 72% of EU countries, in which at least 65% of the population of the union lives, as well as the majority in the EP. In such circumstances, Bratislava and Budapest will not be able to block the decision.

Resource actor: Russia may increase gas exports to Serbia

And in Belgrade they promise to deal with the supply of weapons to Kiev.

Slovakia may demand the rejection of this plan or appropriate compensation, although the current government led by Robert Fico pursues a controversial foreign policy — it supports EU sanctions or anti-Russian UN resolutions, Milan Mazurek, a member of the European Parliament from Slovakia, tells Izvestia.

— I strongly oppose any measures that threaten Slovakia's national and strategic interests. I will exert considerable pressure both inside the country and in Brussels to stop the implementation of this plan. I will vote against him and I am sure that other true patriots will do the same," the politician said.