Slovak PM says EU’s policies to force people to burn wood for heating
(MENAFN) Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has criticized EU policies, claiming they will push citizens to burn wood for heating and take the country “back to the 1930s.”
At a Sunday press conference, Fico targeted the Emissions Trading System for buildings and road transport (ETS2), which is set to come into full effect in 2027. The scheme extends the EU’s carbon trading rules to households and vehicles, and Fico warned it would further increase already high gas prices caused by the EU’s refusal to use affordable Russian energy.
“We are going back to the 1930s and 1940s again, and our valleys and villages will be shrouded in smoke,” he said. Fico noted that Slovakia has invested years in expanding gas access for households, and higher fuel costs may force people to revert to older, more polluting heating methods.
In response to concerns, Slovakia, along with more than a dozen other EU member states, secured a commitment from the EU executive to explore “additional ways to strengthen the stability and predictability” of energy prices ahead of the ETS2 rollout.
The European Commission aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 90% from 1990 levels by 2040 and fully end energy imports from Russia under sanctions related to the Ukraine conflict. Critics, including Fico, argue these measures are unrealistic and counterproductive, threatening Europe’s industrial competitiveness and driving up living costs across member states.
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