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Brussels – Cheaper energy prices in Europe would be ensured by resuming gas transit through Ukraine. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) stated on Thursday evening after the end of the EU summit in Brussels, referring to debates on competitiveness. This is reported by TASR correspondent.
According to him, the leaders in this part of the negotiations talked about the eurozone, the euro, and competitiveness. Fico used the space for debates to draw attention to the issue of high energy prices, which he says is a problem throughout the Union.
“I want to reject the notion of some prime ministers who say that what else remains – that we have to work with the prices we have now and we should plan for the future that gas will cost as much as it does now. But we have no reason to pay 40 or 45 EUR per megawatt-hour for gas just because President Zelensky decided to stop gas transit westward through Slovakia,” he said.
Fico recalled that the European Commission this year presented several action plans – for clean industry, the automotive sector, and affordable energy prices. He noted that the Eurocommission came up with three areas of problems that the heads of governments and states dealt with at the summit. These were the removal of regulatory and administrative burdens, reduction of energy prices, and mobilization of private deposits to be brought into the European economy.
He admitted that Slovakia expected significantly more from the energy action plan and expressed the need for an immediate solution, not medium- or long-term plans. He considers the restoration of gas transit through Ukraine, which he believes would lead to a reduction in energy prices in Europe, as such a solution.
He found the discussions about the union of savings and investments interesting, because it is true that currently the savings of Europeans are capitalized mainly in the United States. He added that in the case of Slovakia, it is possible to turn to pension management companies. He wants to find out if they will be prepared to discuss more active utilization and releasing of savers’ resources after the government prepares the necessary legislative frameworks for this.
He also emphasized that from these Slovak savings, it would be possible to generate investments in the military industry, which is in line with the EU’s plans to increase its security, or in the construction of rental housing or infrastructure financing. (March 21)
“I want to reject the notion of some prime ministers who say that what else remains – that we have to work with the prices we have now and we should plan for the future that gas will cost as much as it does now. But we have no reason to pay 40 or 45 EUR per megawatt-hour for gas just because President Zelensky decided to stop gas transit westward through Slovakia.” Robert Fico