Welcome to the final edition of Today in Slovakia for 2024! We’ll be taking a break on Wednesday, January 1, for Slovakia’s birthday–a national holiday–but fear not, the first edition of the new year will hit your inbox on January 2. By then, we should have heard the new rendition of the national anthem–and we’ll let you know if it hits the right note.
Fico’s energy gambit
PM Robert Fico arrives at the December 18 government meeting in Bratislava. (source: TASR Martin Baumann)
Prime Minister Robert Fico’s holiday season has been anything but merry as he grapples with a problem of his own making. Rather than promptly addressing Ukraine’s evident plan to cease Russian gas transit through its and Slovakia’s territories by the end of 2024, he has focused on a campaign against prosecutors and investigators handling high-profile corruption cases tied to people of his past cabinets–a fight that has defined his fourth term in office so far.
Ukraine’s decision has recently left Fico (Smer) floundering–and looking in the wrong direction. His clandestine trip to the Kremlin, coupled with Economy Minister Denisa Saková’s (Hlas) discreet visits to Gazprom headquarters in St. Petersburg, has raised eyebrows and cast doubts on Slovakia’s energy diplomacy.
Since these fruitless December trips, which yielded no discernible benefits for Slovak citizens, Fico has ramped up attacks on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He accuses Kyiv of endangering Slovak and European economic interests. Zelensky has not held back, alleging Fico is following Russian President Vladimir Putin’s orders to open an energy front against Ukraine. Long viewed as a Moscow ally, Fico seems uninterested in travelling to and negotiating with Kyiv.
His recent offer to host peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Bratislava appears performative. While Fico avoids criticising Putin and sidesteps Russia’s role in the gas crisis, his overtures to Zelensky lack credibility. Putin hasn’t dismissed the idea, but Zelensky has little incentive to entertain Bratislava as a venue after Fico’s recent tirades.
In an attempt to rally European support, Fico has written to EU leaders, citing an analysis by Slovakia’s energy firm SPP. The analysis claims Russia will lose a manageable €2 billion–or potentially nothing–if it redirects gas sales. Fico argues Europe stands to lose tens of billions of euros, with Slovakia alone facing a €400–500 million shortfall in transit fees after the gas transit deal expires. Yet, Eustream, Slovakia’s gas transit company, reported a financial loss in 2023, casting doubt on these assertions. Moreover, the European Union has stated it is prepared for a halt in Russian gas supplies transiting through Ukraine.
Adding to the controversy, Fico has threatened to cut electricity exports to Ukraine, reversing his October commitment to modernise transmission lines to the war-torn country. While Slovakia’s grid is integrated with Europe’s broader energy system, such a move could backfire. It risks not only a €200 million transit fee loss, as Zelensky warns, but also costly disputes with energy traders. Estonia has sharply criticised Fico over his recent statements, while Ukraine has expressed doubt that Fico will follow through on such actions.
On December 27, Fico announced he would evaluate the situation after January 1, hinting at halting electricity exports or seeking “alternative solutions.” For now, Slovakia watches as Fico, communicating solely through social media in recent weeks, prepares to reveal his next move.
Help from Germany: Gas companies in Slovakia are expected to pay approximately €177 million more in transit fees for gas flowing from the west instead of the east. This estimate already accounts for a €90 million cost reduction achieved by scrapping Germany’s storage filling fee, said the Economy Ministry.
The launch of a gas pipeline in eastern Slovakia. (source: TASR - František Iván)
Gas from multiple directions: Slovakia’s Economy Ministry has assured the nation it has sufficient natural gas reserves to last through 2025, as state-owned gas supplier SPP reported a 20-percent increase in stored gas compared to the previous year. By the end of December, underground storage facilities contracted by SPP were nearly 100-percent full. SPP has also signed several short-term contracts with major energy players, including BP, Exxon Mobil, Shell, RWE, and ENI, ensuring steady supply lines. Additionally, energy group ZSE, which includes key gas suppliers ZSE Energia and Východoslovenská energetika, reached a deal in July with Orlen Group for liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports, primarily sourced from the United States. Slovakia’s extensive pipeline network connects it with all neighbouring countries, allowing gas to flow from multiple directions if needed. Recently, the Czech Republic offered to assist Slovakia during the spring months should additional gas supplies become necessary.
Fico’s dangerous proposal: Karel Hirman (Demokrati), former Slovak economy minister and energy expert, has criticised Robert Fico’s letter to European leaders, calling it misleading. However, Fico is far from being criticised by just Hirman. Hirman highlighted that Fico failed to mention Russia’s unreasonable conditions for continuing gas transit through Ukraine. These conditions include Kyiv renouncing its arbitration claims over seized assets in Russia-annexed Crimea–an annexation that courts have ruled cost Ukraine over $4 billion. Hirman also dismissed Fico’s warnings of a European gas crisis, pointing out that rising energy prices had already begun in the autumn, independent of the expiration of the Russia-Ukraine transit deal. He further stressed that the Druzhba pipeline, which still transports Russian oil to Slovakia’s Slovnaft refinery and Hungary’s MOL group, operates using electricity. Hirman warned that Fico’s proposal to halt electricity transfers to Ukraine could jeopardise Slovakia’s energy security.
MORE STORIES FROM THE SLOVAK SPECTATOR
Perfect timing: Slovakia’s Bachledova Valley ski resort has unveiled its newest upgrade—a six-seater cable car.
Flag mix-up: Czech public television found itself in hot water after mistakenly swapping Slovakia’s flag for Slovenia’s.
Wrap-up: The final edition of Slovak Roots for the year is here, and it’s taking readers on a breathtaking journey to Slovak Paradise.
What it takes: Here’s a breakdown of the key requirements businesses must meet to secure investment aid from Slovakia.
Investments: Here’s a look at the year’s major investments.
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PROFILE INTERVIEW
Philadelphia native finds home in Bratislava
Jonathan Klein. (source: Archive of J. K.)
Jonathan Klein, a Philadelphia native, turned a pandemic experiment with Ancestry.com into a transformative journey that led him to Bratislava, the birthplace of his ancestors. Now living in the borough of Petržalka with his wife and pets, Klein has embraced Slovak culture, uncovering family history and actively contributing to the local community while settling into a European way of life.
EVENT
Up close with wildlife
The wolf at Bratislava Zoo. (source: TASR - Pavel Neubauer)
Bratislava Zoo is inviting visitors to two feeding sessions on Wednesday (January 1), featuring the brown bear and the Arabian oryx. The events will include live commentary from zoo experts, starting directly in front of each animal’s enclosure. Later in the afternoon, the spotlight will turn to wolves, with a discussion held in the zoo’s forest area near their habitat.
IN OTHER NEWS
A recent Go4Insight survey paints a sobering picture of Slovak public sentiment as 2024 nears its end. Conducted in December with 1,000 respondents aged 15 to 79, the survey found that 28 percent described the year as worse than expected, including 9 percent who deemed it significantly worse. In contrast, 23 percent reported the year exceeded their initial expectations, while 50 percent said it aligned with their forecasts from January. Economic concerns emerged as the dominant source of dissatisfaction, with over half of respondents citing a worsening financial situation and national economic challenges. Political disillusionment ranked second, highlighted by 46 percent of respondents, while 40 percent noted an overall negative mood in society. Health-related issues were also a key factor for 32 percent of those dissatisfied. Despite the bleak outlook, a quarter of respondents expressed a positive view of 2024, citing improvements in private life, personal finances, and relationships.
The Peace for Ukraine initiative will a protest on Friday, January 3, in front of the Government Office. A larger protest is scheduled for January 10.
From the start of the new year, minimum health insurance contributions for self-employed individuals and voluntary payers in Slovakia will see an increase. The change comes as a result of a rise in the average monthly wage. The minimum monthly advance payment will jump from the current €97.80 to €107.25.
Starting January 1, a new decree will come into effect allowing the hunting of wolves across Slovakia. For the 2025 season, hunting will be permitted until 15 January, with a quota set at 74 individuals.
Slovak political parties are set to receive nearly €14.3 million in 2025 as part of state contributions based on the results of the 2023 parliamentary elections. The funds are distributed annually over the course of the four-year parliamentary term from 2023 to 2027. In total, €92.87 million has been allocated for election contributions. (TASR)
Doctors across Slovakia have officially withdrawn their resignation notices, Peter Visolajský, chair of the Medical Trade Union Association (LOZ), confirmed on Tuesday. The ball is now in the government’s court, Visolajský stated, urging swift action to fulfil promises made to the medical community. (TASR)
Ivan Hapšták, one of Slovakia’s two police vice presidents, will step down from his position at the end of 2024. Hapšták has served as vice president overseeing criminal police and migration services. Hapšták’s career is not without controversy. In 2013, as an investigator, he made headlines for requesting investigative journalist Tom Nicholson, a former editor-in-chief of The Slovak Spectator, to reveal his journalistic sources. (SME)
The 33rd annual New Year's Eve Run across Bratislava's bridges – Prístavný Bridge, Apollo Bridge, Old Bridge, SNP Bridge, and back to Prístavný Bridge – takes place on December 31, 2024 in Bratislava. (source: TASR - Martin Baumann)
WEATHER BRIEFING: Expect cloudy and foggy conditions on Wednesday, with occasional light snow or drizzle, some of it freezing and leading to icy patches. Daytime temperatures will range from -4°C to 3°C, climbing to as high as 9°C in the mountains or where the sun breaks through. The Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute has issued warnings for ice and fog nationwide. Thursday will see daytime temperatures from -2°C to 3°C, with milder conditions in western Slovakia, the Žilina Region, and Spiš, where highs may reach between 4°C and 9°C. (SHMÚ)
PARTY TIME: January 1 marks Slovakia’s birthday, a day with no specific name in the calendar. The first day of the year also coincides with the World Day of Peace. January 2 is a special day for Alexandras and Karinas across Slovakia as they celebrate their name day.
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