A conference was held in Slovakia on Saturday, calling for the end of EU sanctions against Russia. Politicians and economists at the event, titled “For a Slovakia without Sanctions” argued that the measures have been ineffective and have harmed the countries that imposed them, including Slovakia.
The conference, which was held in Bratislava, promoted a petition that aims to convince the Slovak government to push for the end of the sanctions at the EU level. The petition, initiated by the left-wing “Party of the Slovak Revival” and the right-wing Heimatland Party, has already gathered over 300,000 signatures, according to the organizers.
Pavol Slota, the chairman of the Heimatland Party and one of the petition’s initiators, said the future of Slovakia depends on the end of the sanctions.
“It’s about our entire nation, all Slovak citizens, about us fighting for our own future. We must do everything to make our message reach every single Slovak citizen” he said.
“If we just let everything be the way it is, it might be that we won’t get a second chance . I must ask, do you respect weak people who adapt, who somehow just run with the crowd? Or do you respect strong people who respect themselves?” Slota said, urging the public to support the campaign to defend “our values, our traditions, our families and our nation.”
Economist and Professor Peter Stanek told the attendees that research, including studies from Western sources, has shown that the sanctions have been ineffective.
“There are dozens of studies that clearly show that sanctions have never worked” Stanek said. “They have always harmed those who imposed them . They have made the energy sector go crazy.”
He added that European energy prices have risen since 2021 and warned that the new US tariffs on EU exports and Brussels’ own expensive military and climate programs will further exacerbate the economic effects.
“These sanctions are starting to take on a completely different dimension, thanks to the shortsightedness that rules in Brussels and the European Commission” he said. “I can’t call it anything else, because they have probably lost their common sense.”
Former Slovak Justice Minister Stefan Harabin also spoke at the conference, accusing the EU of “provoking the Russians” with sanctions and the escalation of the conflict through the arming of Kiev.
After the Slovak Constitution, the president can initiate a national referendum if a petition gathers 350,000 valid signatures. The organizers promised to continue collecting signatures. Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, a critic of the EU’s Ukraine policy, has described the sanctions as “counterproductive.” He urged Brussels to reestablish contact with Moscow, warning that the confrontational approach of the EU is harming its own member states.