Bratislava – On Thursday, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) criticized Energy Commissioner Dana Jorgensen for expressing concerns about the European Union’s reliance on imports of American natural gas. Fico pointed out that it was the European Commission (EC), of which Jorgensen is a part, that implemented the RePowerEU regulation, which bans Russian gas imports starting November next year and thus leads the EU into this dependency. He made these remarks on social media prior to a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron, according to TASR.
“Mr. Commissioner, were you not at your post? Were you not present at the European Commission when this unreasonable ideological proposal was put forth and eventually approved, which mandates a halt to all gas imports from Russia by 2027, to be replaced with liquefied gas from the United States? Are you joking with us, Mr. Commissioner?” Fico stated in a social media post directed at Dana Jorgensen.
On January 27, Fico announced that Slovakia intends to file a lawsuit with the Court of Justice of the EU against the RePowerEU regulation that prohibits Russian natural gas imports starting in November 2027. He believes Slovakia will contest this on the grounds of violations of subsidiarity and proportionality principles.
In his post, Fico also discussed various foreign policy issues, noting that European leaders seem to be shifting their positions. For instance, he referenced British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s remarks after meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping, emphasizing the importance of engagement with China.
“Well, hooray! But I wonder where you all were in September, during China’s celebration of victory over fascism,” Fico added. He made similar comments regarding the need for dialogue with Russia. (January 29).
Leave a Reply