Slovak MEPs welcome EU's initiative to cut itself off from Russian gas

Slovak MEPs welcome a plan called REPowerEU proposed by the European Commission on Tuesday (March 8) in Strasbourg. The plan is to make Europe independent of Russian gas and other fossil fuels before 2030. According to MEP Robert Hajsel of Socialists and Democrats, the Russian aggression in Ukraine is forcing the EU to switch to more alternative sources of energy, but also to bigger savings by increasing energy efficiency. MEP Michal Simecka of RENEW Europe group admitted that the Commission’s plan creates a difficult situation both for the EU and Slovakia. "However, it is a war and reality has changed. The EU broke several taboos over the past couple of days and what was unimaginable two weeks ago is suddenly possible," he explained. Another RENEW Europe MEP Michal Wiezik stressed that gas is no longer just an ecological, but also a geopolitical problem. MEP Miriam Lexmann of European People's Party said she has long called for the Union to break away from energy dependence on Russia and other non-democratic countries.