Opposition: Government Did Nothing about Rising Fuel Prices on Wednesday Either

Bratislava, 11 March (TASR) - Wednesday's government meeting, also attended by President Peter Pellegrini and representatives of the Slovnaft refinery, failed to produce any specific solutions for the people regarding rising fuel prices, representatives of several opposition parties stated after the cabinet meeting on Wednesday, adding that the government is neither addressing other major problems people are facing. "One would expect that when the government meets at an extraordinary session attended by President Peter Pellegrini, it will make decisions that will help people in times of economic and social crisis. And they come up with Slovnaft's self-regulation for five days, and then we'll see. The cost of living is rising, investors are leaving Slovakia, and people are worried about fuel price increases. However, the result of the government's negotiations is zero; it hasn't adopted any real measures," said Progressive Slovakia (PS) chairman Michal Simecka. Instead of solutions, he stated, all we heard were attacks on the opposition and talk about Russian oil and the Druzhba pipeline. "Prime Minister Fico [Smer-SD] keeps claiming that Russian oil is the solution, even though drivers in countries like the Czech Republic and Poland are filling up cheaper without it. The government had two and a half years to prepare Slovakia for the energy crisis and ensure alternative supplies, but it failed to do so and is now shifting its responsibility to the European Union and Ukraine," added Simecka. Opposition MP Julius Jakab ('Slovakia'-'For the People' caucus) pointed out that oil prices are currently rising significantly due to the war in Iran, but the Slovak government hasn't offered any solution to this situation. "We see Slovenia, Croatia, and Hungary, which have either capped fuel prices or reduced excise taxes. Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) has done absolutely nothing for people to have a rest and reassure them that they won't see price increases for petrol and diesel at petrol stations, that the Slovak Republic and the Slovak government will protect them in some way," he said. According to Jakab, the price self-regulation for the next five days, agreed upon by the government and Slovnaft, means "absolutely nothing". "It's like a doctor telling a sick patient to heal himself. The government has done absolutely nothing to help people. And when you look at fuel prices in Slovakia, it is clear that they are among the highest of all neighbouring countries," added Jakab. am