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Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced Tuesday that his country will file a lawsuit against the European Union’s (EU) plan to phase out Russian natural gas by 2027.
This move follows a similar declaration by Hungary, as both landlocked nations continue to rely heavily on Russian energy despite the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The legal challenge targets a new EU mechanism that allows for a gas ban based on a “qualified majority” vote rather than a unanimous one.
This procedural shift bypassed the veto power previously used by Bratislava and Budapest to secure exemptions.
Fico criticised the policy as being driven by “ideology and hatred,” warning that the abrupt transition would be economically devastating for Slovakia.
In Budapest, Prime Minister Viktor Orban—currently facing a difficult re-election campaign—reaffirmed his intent to sue, arguing that the ban threatens his signature policy of capping household utility prices.
Hungary contends the measure is essentially a sanction and, therefore, should require unanimous approval from all member states to be legally binding.
The European Commission has dismissed these concerns, calling the shift away from Russian energy a “historic moment” for the continent.
Commission spokespeople expressed total confidence in the legal validity of the law, noting that it received overwhelming support from nearly every other EU member state.
