At the negotiating table: Slovakia is ready to convene the EU Council over Russian gas
The European Union is trying to speed up the procedure for abandoning Russian oil and gas by 2028. Slovakia is preparing to initiate an unscheduled meeting of the EU Council in response, Deputy Speaker of the country's parliament Tibor Gaspar told Izvestia. Bratislava also intends to use its veto power over new sanctions against Russia if the costs of their adoption are too high. Experts believe that Slovakia and Hungary have very little chance of stopping the decision without involving other countries. About how Europe is resisting the abandonment of Russian energy resources is in the Izvestia article.
The EU is forcing the abandonment of Russian energy resources
Slovakia plans to request an extraordinary meeting of the EU Council due to the decision to abandon Russian energy supplies by 2028, Deputy speaker of the Slovak National Council Tibor Gaspar told Izvestia.
— Slovakia can publicly declare that the actions of the European Commission violate the principle of unanimity when making decisions on sanctions in the field of foreign policy and security. Prime Minister Robert Fico or Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar may stress that "Slovakia will not accept the dictates of Brussels" and that this is an overreach of the EC's powers. The government may initiate an extraordinary meeting of the EU Council, which will require a review of the European Commission's decision and the restoration of consensus among the member states," Gaspar told Izvestia.
According to Reuters, on October 8, the ambassadors of the EU countries agreed to abandon Russian oil and gas, despite the objections of Hungary and Slovakia. Now this decision must be approved by the heads of the Foreign Ministries of the association states, their meeting is scheduled for October 20. However, there are still technical issues. For example, whether the EU customs service should check the origin of LNG upon arrival at the port.
In Brussels, they emphasize that the European Commission "managed to overcome the first political obstacle on the way to the adoption of the law." In May, the EC published a roadmap for the abandonment of Russian energy resources, and oil and gas supplies from Russia to EU countries should stop by the end of 2027.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico said at a meeting with Vladimir Putin in Beijing on September 2 that he would hinder the implementation of this plan. He expressed confidence that by January 1, 2028, "a lot can change" and this measure will not work because it "will cause great harm" to European countries. Viktor Orban, the head of the Hungarian government, holds the same position.
Hungary and Slovakia have signed long-term contracts with Gazprom: until 2034 in the case of Bratislava and 2036 for Hungary. The situation is similar with oil. In 2024, Russia supplied 4.78 million tons to Hungary via the southern branch of the Druzhba oil pipeline. Russian oil accounts for 70% of Hungarian imports. Crude oil supplies from Russia to Slovakia averaged about 450,000 tons per month between 2008 and 2024.
Construction of a Volvo Car factory in Kosice, Slovakia
Cheap oil and gas are important for the industry of both countries. About 15% of Slovakia's GDP and half of the country's exports are generated by the automotive industry. 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.
Igor Yushkov, an expert at the Financial University and the National Energy Security Fund, told Izvestia that the EU's abandonment of Russian energy sources by 2028 is not yet predetermined. He stressed that Bratislava and Budapest are interested in preserving Russian supplies and will continue to resist the EC's initiative.
— Any alternative, of course, would be less beneficial for Hungary and Slovakia. There is tremendous pressure on them," the expert noted.
Workers at an oil refinery in Bratislava
At the same time, the European Commission is trying to coordinate a ban on energy imports from Russia not in the form of sanctions, which require the unanimity of all EU countries, but through a less complex procedure. In this case, a qualified majority is needed: the consent of 55% of the EU countries, in which at least 65% of the population of the union lives, as well as the majority in the European Parliament.
Ways to circumvent the blocking veto are already a separate strategy in the decision—making process in the EU, Daria Moiseeva, Candidate of Political Sciences, chief analyst at ANO Kolaboratoria, said in an interview with Izvestia. According to press reports, the decision has so far been agreed upon by the Committee of Permanent Representatives (COREPER), which includes the heads of permanent delegations (ambassadors) in Brussels.
— Further, the decision previously agreed upon in the COREPER is sent to the ministers of the EU countries (members of the EU Council) for further study. This is where the main and most difficult work begins, since the Committee's meeting is the nominal and largely technical stage of consideration of the future draft law," the expert emphasized.
Tanks for storage of liquefied natural gas on the territory of the Yamal LNG plant in Sabetta village
Since such a procedure does not require unanimity to make a decision, Slovakia and Hungary will not be able to block it on their own. As Moiseeva noted, Bratislava and Budapest can only try to form a coalition. In this regard, the space for finding partners is small, but it is there. Thus, according to Politico, the authorities of France and Belgium had previously refused to support a ban on LNG imports from Russia under existing agreements by the end of 2027. Austria also expressed concerns about this.
For now, Bratislava and Budapest are looking for ways to replace supplies from Russia. Hungary has already signed a ten-year contract with Shell for the supply of gas, and Slovakia is considering Azerbaijan as an alternative.
How is the adoption of the 19th package of sanctions progressing?
In parallel, the discussion of the 19th package of European sanctions against Russia continues. EC President Ursula von der Leyen had previously promised to adopt new restrictions by early September, but its approval is delayed. Part of the reason is that too many restrictions are being proposed. Von der Leyen herself noted that the European Union, when preparing the 19th package of sanctions against Russia, is changing its approach, moving "from a gradual increase in pressure to harsh measures."
EC President Ursula von der Leyen and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico at the EU summit
Now Brussels hopes to agree on the 19th package at the summit on October 23-24. Slovakia will use the right of veto if the application of sanctions against Russia forces Bratislava to bear a disproportionate share of the costs, Tibor Gaspar told Izvestia.
— We want to preserve our voice — sovereignty. We do not want to be vassals of the European Commission. We don't want to be dragged into a war with the Russian Federation by the majority. We strive to protect our national interests — if the application of sanctions violates the principles of equality and forces Slovakia to bear a disproportionate share of the costs, we will reject it or use the right of veto," said the Deputy Speaker of the Slovak Parliament.
A worker on the platform of the pumping station of the Druzhba oil pipeline near the village of Bobovichi, Belarus
He noted the unacceptability of a situation where sanctions proposals were promoted without sufficient exceptions or compensations for member states that are energy dependent, such as Slovakia.
— The economic consequences of the sanctions, especially in the energy sector, have proved to be serious for the regions and industry. Ignoring these risks or trying to circumvent them is not a policy that we will support," concluded Gaspar.
Previously, it was Bratislava that blocked the adoption of the 18th package of restrictions in June and July. Slovakia used this lever to put pressure on the European Commission to maintain Russian gas supplies. Bratislava supported the introduction of restrictions by accepting guarantees from Brussels. It is not yet specified exactly what conditions are meant, but it is known that Robert Fico is seeking a promise to compensate for high gas prices from euro funds.
Forging of a batch of blanks from which elements of the reactor vessel of the sixth power unit of the Paks-2 NPP, which is being built according to a Russian project in Hungary, will be made
The main goal of Slovakia and Hungary is to achieve concessions on certain issues using their veto power. For example, several countries, including Slovakia and Hungary, won the right to receive Russian oil through the Druzhba oil pipeline in 2022, and Budapest protected the Paks-2 NPP construction project from restrictions. However, the question is how much longer this strategy will continue to work. Judging by how Brussels is persistently looking for ways to get rid of the annoying veto of small countries, there is less and less room for maneuver.
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