Monitor: Sulik Favours Building New Nuclear Power Source with CEZ Participation

(TA3,'V politike', 30 August) If the Czech power utility CEZ were involved in the construction of the new nuclear power source in Jaslovske Bohunice (Trnava region) through the Slovak Nuclear Energy Company (JESS), it might be cheaper and faster, former economy minister Richard Sulik said on TA3's discussion programme 'V politike' (In Politics) on Sunday. Also on the show, MEP and chairman of the extra-parliamentary Republic party Milan Uhrik rejected this idea, saying that he would rather see an international tender called for the construction of the new nuclear facility. Sulik said that CEZ, which is partly owned by the state, would be a very good partner, because the company operates several nuclear power plants. "CEZ would be a solid partner. Perhaps the whole process would be faster and cheaper," he added, recalling the period when power utility Slovenske elektrarne (SE) was wholly owned by the state and the state nominees nearly drove the company into bankruptcy. Uhrik praised the current government's efforts to gain 100-percent control of JESS and buy the stake held in the company by CEZ. "We support the construction of this source and believe that the state should have it in its hands and that it should be owned by the state. Because we can see that when electricity is bought through exchanges, whether in Leipzig or elsewhere internationally, this might not necessarily benefit the people," stated Uhrik. However, Uhrik criticised the preliminary selection of the US company Westinghouse as the supplier, suggesting that the government should declare an international tender where French or South Korean companies could take part as well. Sulik and Uhrik agreed in their assessment of the transaction tax which is set to be scrapped as of next year. According to Sulik, although the tax did not directly put companies out of business, it sent a negative message abroad to potential investors. Uhrik described the tax as a "unique nonsense" which, first of all, didn't work and, secondly, penalised businesses just for making payments to others. They also agreed that restarting primary aluminium production at the Slovalco plant in Ziar nad Hronom (Banska Bystrica region) was the right thing to do. However, Sulik denied his responsibility for the shutdown of production in 2022–2023, explaining that his proposal for supporting the company from the Environmental Fund was blocked by then finance minister Igor Matovic, the leader of the 'Slovakia' party. jrg