Chairman of SNS: The resolution not to vote for sanctions against Russia will resonate in the EU

Bratislava – Chairman of the coalition SNS Andrej Danko is proud of the resolution in which the Slovak parliament committed government members not to vote for the adoption of new EU sanctions and trade restrictions against Russia. On Thursday, at a press conference in the National Council (NR) of the Slovak Republic, he emphasized that this will resonate in the EU, TASR reports.

Members of the Slovak government should not vote in international organizations for the adoption of new sanctions and trade restrictions against the Russian Federation. At the same time, they should actively promote measures to stabilize the energy market, eliminate price volatility, and protect the strategic interests of the Slovak economy. This follows from the resolution of the NR SR rejecting the sanctions policy and trade restrictions against the Russian Federation and protecting the economic and energy interests of the Slovak Republic, which was approved by the deputies on Thursday. The resolution was proposed by the coalition SNS.

“I am proud that the parliament adopted this. I want to thank the SNS deputies for their courage, but also the deputies of Smer for joining in, and at the end of the day, we achieved something that I believe will resonate in the European Union,” said Danko. According to him, the approved resolution clearly states that anti-Russian sanctions are harming the Slovak economy.

“I want to emphasize that the National Council of the Slovak Republic is the first to acknowledge the economic damage caused by the fact that Western countries are forcing us to cut off from the eastern energy source,” Danko stressed. The resolution states that the sanctions policy and trade restrictions against the Russian Federation contribute to rising energy prices and disrupt supply chains, weakening the competitiveness and economic benefit of Slovak companies.

On Thursday, 51 out of 76 present deputies of the NR SR voted for the proposal from the coalition SNS. This included the entire SNS club, a majority of the Smer-SD club, as well as some lawmakers from Hlas-SD and several independents. Ján Ferenčák (Hlas-SD) voted against, while another 23, mainly from the Hlas-SD club, abstained from voting. Opposition deputies did not participate in the vote.

Coalition deputy Ferenčák reminded journalists that Slovakia has supported EU sanctions against Russia 17 times in the past, stating that the government has always said it would support sanctions that do not directly affect Slovakia. Therefore, he considers Thursday’s resolution misguided, as it commits Slovakia to always be against, and in that case, the country would join Hungary and continue to veto all other sanctions that do not affect Slovakia and that prevent other countries from possibly trading with the Russian Federation. According to him, the resolution is not legally binding, and the prime minister is not obliged to act accordingly.

The opposition PS stated that the voting in the NR SR showed that the coalition parties cannot agree even on basic issues of foreign policy. According to PS chairman Michal Šimečka, how the country will act in the EU is the responsibility of the governing coalition. If it vetoes sanctions, it would be a shame for Slovakia, according to him.

“Slovakia is today in isolation and is being looked at askance along with Hungary. The fact that we are in isolation today and that Slovakia has such a weak voice and that no one is talking to Slovakia is the responsibility of this government,” Šimečka added. (June 5)

“We have achieved something that I believe will resonate in the European Union.” Andrej Danko