MORNING NEWS HIGHLIGHTS - Monday, December 30, 2024 - 9 a.m.

TASR brings a quick morning overview of the most important events seen in Slovakia on the previous day (Sunday, December 29): BRATISLAVA - The Slovak Foreign and European Affairs Ministry rejects statements by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, according to which Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico plans to open up a second energy front against Ukraine at the behest by Russian President Putin, TASR learnt from the ministry's press department on Sunday. The ministry added that Zelenskyy is engaging in unsubstantiated fabrications. "It was the current Slovak Government that included in its roadmap of Slovak-Ukrainian cooperation the project of expanding connections of energy infrastructure between the two countries as one of its priorities. Electricity is supplied [to Ukraine] by firms in Slovakia on a commercial basis, after all, they can't be expected to finance the Ukrainian state. Since the beginning of the conflict, we've been providing and will continue to provide humanitarian aid to the defenceless and beleaguered inhabitants of Ukraine, within the scope of our powers," claimed the department. In the view of the Slovak ministry, Ukraine shouldn't overlook the fact that the Russian gas, transiting through the Ukrainian land, brings a much-needed income to Slovakia. The ministry added that the EU in general and Slovakia in particular support Ukraine and its people, so Ukraine would do well not to create new enemies. The Foreign Ministry added that during December's EU summit, Zelenskyy submitted an "absurd proposal" to use Russian frozen assets to buy Slovakia's consent with Ukraine's NATO membership. The ministry underlined that its consent is not for sale. In the ministry's view, the Ukrainian President is threatening Slovakia with a response from the European community, of which his country is not even a member yet. "All of this can quickly turn against Ukraine, however," warned the ministry. BRATISLAVA - Tacit acceptance of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's unilateral decision to shut down the transit of Russian gas is wrong, irrational and will lead to increased tension and reciprocal measures, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) wrote in an open letter addressed to the EU on Sunday. It is in the interest of the EU's people to make the aid for Ukraine rational, instead of carrying out in the form of self-destructive gestures that damage the EU. "As is generally known, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has unilaterally, without any open consultations with bodies of the EU or affected member states, announced that, as of January 1, 2025, Ukraine will no longer carry out any transit of [Russian] gas through its land to the Slovak Republic and other consumers in Western Europe," reads the letter. According to Fico, other variants than the transit of Russian gas were presented to Ukraine, but these were turned down by Kiev as well. Fico commented that he doesn't know whether the European Commission has opted to attend to this affair so lackadaisically because economic impacts of the shutdown of the gas transit haven't been analysed and the decision taken was purely ideological, or such an analysis was conducted but not discussed with member states. Fico argues in the letter that the shutdown of the transit will hurt EU more than Russia. "In all likelihood, this will take any feasible option to export gas from Europe to Ukraine off the table and Ukraine will need to rely solely on its own gas production," thinks FIco. Earlier this year, Ukrainian representatives signalled that they don't plan to extend the contract on the transit of Russian gas through their land, which is set to expire on December 31. On Friday (December 27), Fico responded that the Slovak Government will consider reciprocal measures that might including cutting out supplies of electricity to Ukraine. On Saturday (December 28), Zelenskyy accused Fico of opening up a second energy front against Ukraine at the behest of Russian President Vladimir Putin. BRATISLAVA - Defence Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer-SD) ignores the needs of the military and makes non-systemic procurements, with the Defence Ministry also financing projects that fall under auspices of other ministries, opposition's MP Juraj Krupa (SaS) has told TASR in an interview. "Key projects, such as the building of heavy mechanised brigade, which is crucial for our defence also as part of collective NATO defence, has been sidelined by the ministry. Instead, they're procuring jets, a transport squadron worth €300 million and old helicopters," underlined the MP. Krupa sees non-systemic approach also in plans to replace the transport aircraft, as the ministry intends to buy replacement machines with its own budget, which should be used for building the defence capabilities of Slovakia instead. Krupa added that the ministry has engaged in large-scale procurements irrespective of the imminent price growth and budgetary consolidation. The purchases in question are not just non-systemic and outside NATO targets, but also non-transparent. "To which minister Kalinak responds univocally: 'We'll find some use for what we buy'. Such an approach doesn't do anything to improve Slovakia's defence capabilities, however," he claimed, warning that Slovakia also faces creeping and hidden privatisation of the industry. BRATISLAVA - Opposition insists that new parliamentary Rules of Procedure should be passed with a consensus across the entire political spectrum, it follows from end-of-the-year interviews that representatives of the opposition have given to TASR. PS chair Michal Simecka underlined the need for the consensus. "This shouldn't, and I hope it won't, get passed only with a narrow majority," he noted. Simecka hopes that the working group will come up with a consensual proposal and rejects any muzzling of the opposition. "I hope that this won't happen and that we won't topple yet another taboo of our parliamentary democracy," he claimed, adding that the first taboo already violated was the ousting of opposition nominees from parliamentary posts. This view was echoed by SaS chair Branislav Groehling, who hopes for a consensus as well. According to his information, Parliament is set to deliberate on the new Rules of Procedure in March. At a session of the working group, SaS submitted its own draft that contained more stringent rules for the use of fast-track procedures and the option to attach comments also to MP proposals. The Christian Democrats (KDH) have their own proposals as well, with KDH chair Milan Majersky announcing that KDH wants parliamentary caucuses to be able to submit amending proposals too. Currently, only a group of at least 15 lawmakers can do so. Such a change, in Majersky's view, would simplify situations in Parliament, as currently caucuses can have the minimum of eight legislators. KDH also intends to address the code of ethics, including the drinking of alcohol. "We might have as many rules, laws and norms as we like, but when you run about in Parliament under the influence of alcohol and you're also a legislator, you're not a good role model for either your colleagues or the people in Slovakia," he said. Chair of the 'Slovakia'-For the People-KU coalition caucus Michal Sipos stated that it's necessary to introduce the testing for drugs and alcohol in Parliament, as the problem with alcohol is particularly prevalent in the Slovak Parliament. Sipos is concerned that the new rules will be misused by the coalition against the opposition, as debates are routinely shortened already. "I perceive it as a great danger that they're intending to turn Parliament into a rubber-stamping machine that will only churn out laws according to their wishes and, ideally, without anyone having any opportunity to criticise them," he stated. mf