Another gas crisis threatens Slovakia
June 23, 2009
Surely Slovak citizens are entitle to feel that their politicians are not performing as well as they should be. It's nearly July and a warning of a new gas crisis is hitting the headlines. European politicians in general and Slovak politicians in particular must find a solution to the perennial problem of gas supplies through Ukraine. Earlier this year, Slovakia lost much needed production because gas supplies transiting through the Ukraine were shut off, not because of anything Slovakia had or hadn't done but because Russia and the Ukraine were in disagreement over gas prices. As mthough those events had never happened Prime Minister Robert Fico warned yesterday that a new gas crisis was imminent because Ukraine might not be able to pay Russia for this month's gas deliveries – a figure of around €3bn has been mentioned. While Slovakia is in a very vulnerable position because 100% of its gas come from Russia, in Europe as a whole 80% of Russian gas deliveries come via the Ukraine. European politicians get paid to resolve these problems but they are incapable of doing so, although they are quick enough to find ways to maximise their expense claims. European citizens must stop being so complacent and must start demanding competence from their elected, and all too often unelected, politicians.Jose Barroso, the European Commission chief has warned that another gas crisis could occur within weeks and called for an international meeting to help the Ukraine pay for its Russian gas. Calling a meeting is simply a mechanism to avoid doing anything; what is needed is a mechanism to make those people who are actually responsible pay for their lack of performance. It's several months since the crisis and everyone knew that Ukraine would struggle to pay its bill but only now is a commission being proposed. The answer is simple, if an expensive and a lengthy process. Build more pipelines bypassing Ukraine; build more pipelines to bring gas up from the south and bypass Russian gas; build more pipelines and take more gas from Norway's far noth.
If those politicians worked for commercial companies, other than banks, they would have been sacked by now for incompetence. Because it is summer, and a winter without gas is several months away, the politicians have their minds elsewhere.
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