The Slovak government has declared a state of oil emergency for the first time in history. The decision was made after the supply of crude oil was stopped through the "Druzhba" (Friendship) pipeline, which was damaged in Ukraine. To ensure the uninterrupted operation of the Slovnaft plant, the state released 250,000 tons of oil from reserves. This amount should be enough for at least a month while negotiations continue for alternative supplies through the Adria pipeline. The authorities and the operator Transpetrol assure that the situation is under control, but uncertainty about the stability of imports has caused market tension.
Despite the state of emergency, analysts reassure that the shutdown of "Druzhba" itself will not cause an immediate price jump. However, fuel will still become more expensive – by about 3 cents per liter within the next two weeks. The main reasons are rising global oil prices (Brent is already trading at $71 per barrel) and the tense geopolitical situation around Iran. The average price for both gasoline and diesel in Slovakia is expected to settle at 1.50 EUR/l.
Currently, Slovakia has some of the highest gasoline prices in the region. For comparison, a liter costs an average of 1.37 euros in the Czech Republic (11 cents cheaper), and 1.42 euros in Poland. At the same time, Austria and Hungary show higher diesel prices. Analysts emphasize that further price dynamics will depend solely on the global market, as internal pipeline problems have currently been offset by state borrowing.
