Robert Fico, the prime minister of Slovakia, has once again invoked his veto power to block a new round of European Union sanctions against Russia, setting the stage for a full-blown clash during next week’s summit of leaders.
The proposed package, which has been on the table for almost a month, targets Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG), oil infrastructure, “shadow fleet” and cryptocurrency platforms, as well as the movements of Russian diplomats across the bloc.
After weeks of negotiations, the technical and legal details of the restrictions have been fine-tuned and settled, according to diplomats consulted by Euronews.
This has left the matter dependent on a final vote.
On Wednesday, the 27 ambassadors in Brussels got together, hoping to reach a deal. That is when Slovakia confirmed its intention to block.
Fico himself made it clear after a phone call with António Costa, the president of the European Council, where he expressed his “astonishment” at the fact that next week’s summit will focus heavily on Ukraine. (Ukraine is a recurrent issue at every summit.)
“I am not interested in dealing with new sanctions packages against Russia until I see, in the conclusions of the summit, political instructions for the European Commission on how to address the crisis in the automotive industry and the high energy prices that are making the European economy completely uncompetitive,” Fico said on Wednesday.
“I refuse to let such serious issues be ‘handled’ in the conclusions with general phrases, while detailed decisions and positions are devoted to aid for Ukraine.”
The draft conclusions, seen by Euronews, devote an extensive section to “Competitiveness and Twin Transition” that touches upon various issues affecting the bloc’s ability to grow its economy and compete on the global stage.
In one paragraph, the text says high energy prices “must also be addressed”. In another, it calls for “particular attention” to be paid to Europe’s “traditional industries”, such as the automotive industry, without entering into specific details.
Slovakia will present “substantially more concrete proposals” on energy and cars, Fico said, so that they can be discussed at the summit on 23 October.
From Fico to Raiffeisen
By bringing up unrelated issues into the discussion over Ukraine, Fico replicates the technique he used in the previous round of sanctions, when he waived his veto to demand concessions from the phase-out of Russian fossil fuels.
Slovakia, like Hungary, remains dependent on Russian energy and has vehemently opposed the transition away from Moscow, set to be completed by the end of 2027.
Fico gave up after he received a letter from the European Commission with non-binding assurances about the phase-out, including the use of state aid to bring down energy prices. Slovakia has for years battled a high rate of energy poverty.
This time, the premier is expanding his scope to Europe’s car-making industry.
Fico has repeatedly complained about a green law that would effectively ban sales of new cars with combustion engines by 2035. The legislation, agreed in the previous mandate, has galvanised conservative politicians and intensified lobbying efforts in anticipation of an internal review next year.
Last week, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz vowed to resist the 2035 deadline.
“Such a hard cutoff in 2035 will not take place, if I have anything to do with it, and I will do all I can to achieve this,” Merz said, speaking to representatives of the ailing sector.
Next to Slovakia, Austria has emerged as another obstacle in the sanctions debate.
Vienna has asked to unfreeze the shares of a blacklisted Russian company, Rasperia Trading, to compensate one of its largest banks, Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI), for a €2.1 billion legal defeat it suffered in a Moscow court early this year.
The request has proven controversial among member states, who fear it could open Pandora’s box and embolden similar requests in the future. It is unclear if Vienna will push the matter all the way to the leaders’ summit, given its isolation in the room.
“Austria continues to support Ukraine and the sanctions regime against Russia,” the Austrian foreign ministry said in a statement.
“Austria is, of course, committed to safeguarding the interests of Austrian companies. We also want to ensure that sanctions imposed by Europe to weaken Russia do not indirectly benefit the aggressor twice over.”
