'Slovakia' Party: Slovaks Once Again Paying Highest Prices for Petrol in Region

Bratislava, 28 April (TASR) - Current prices show that Slovakia is among the most expensive countries in the region when it comes to fuel, opposition MP Julius Jakab ('Slovakia'-'For the People' caucus) stated on Tuesday. While drivers in Slovakia pay €1.80 per litre of diesel, the price is €1.64 in Poland and €1.68 in Hungary. For petrol, Slovaks pay €1.71 per litre, while in Poland it is €1.45 and in Hungary €1.62. With the resumption of oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline, the myth of cheap Russian oil is crumbling, stressed Jakab. "We're clearly proving that Russian oil isn't cheap. People in Slovakia have never experienced cheap Russian oil - on the contrary, since its return, we're once again paying the highest prices in the region," stated the MP, adding that Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) has been lying to the public for years and covering for oligarchs' business interests instead of protecting Slovak citizens. Jakab also claimed that the only period in recent years when fuel prices in Slovakia were cheaper than in neighbouring countries was when Slovnaft processed non-Russian oil from alternative sources—such as Norway, Saudi Arabia, Libya, and Kazakhstan. "The only time Slovaks had cheaper fuel than their neighbours was when Slovnaft wasn't processing Russian oil. This is definitive proof that Fico has been misleading people for years and that his stories about cheap Russian oil were simply a scam on the citizens," he stressed. The 'Slovakia' party has called on the government to implement rigorous oversight of margins in the processing of Russian oil, tax windfall profits from processing cheaper Russian oil, redirect these revenues back to the people in Slovakia, and ensure genuine competition in oil imports and processing. "If Slovnaft buys cheaper Russian oil, the benefit must go to Slovak citizens - not to oligarchs and foreign shareholders. The state must act immediately. However, instead of defending Slovaks, Robert Fico is once again protecting the powerful and the wealthy," concluded Jakab. am