Bratislava – Gas prices in Slovakia are expected to remain stable, as there is ample supply in Europe and the country is not reliant on Russian gas. Market conditions primarily dictate gas prices, with potential variances mainly arising from transportation costs. This comes in response to Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD), who suggested that a complete cessation of Russian energy supplies to the EU could lead to a 30 to 50% increase in gas prices for Slovak households.
“Gas prices are determined by the market and transportation costs may vary compared to other countries. However, these fees are applicable to all European nations, so Robert Fico should address this in Brussels to advocate for standardized fees from the EU or European Commission,” stated SaS MP and former State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy of Slovakia, Karol Galek.
He pointed out that Slovakia is overly dependent on Russian gas, which is already among the most expensive in Europe. He noted that Slovak businesses and large consumers are currently facing some of the highest prices per megawatt-hour. He also highlighted that gas storage facilities are currently only 42% full, compared to 76% at the same time last year.
Additionally, SaS raised concerns about the development of a new nuclear power source, claiming that the state is selecting an investor without a tender process.
“Today, Fico announced that the supplier will be Westinghouse, with no competitive bidding involved. Minister Saková has structured the energy law in a similar way, which we discussed during the first reading at this session. While there will be a tender for smaller sources where the state subsidizes electricity production, the massive nuclear project costing 15 billion seems to be chosen behind closed doors at the government office,” Galek remarked. (June 17)
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