A big exclusive interview with Prime Minister Fico: We depend on each other

In the Czech Republic today, with an overview of the most discussed foreign policy today, fourfold Slovak Prime Minister and Chairman of the main government party Smérfound more than an hour of time after the first round of the Slovak presidential elections for an interview with journalists from Deník.

One of the key topics of the conversation was the disturbed Czech-Slovak relations. The culmination of the current crisis was the cancellation of the joint meeting of the Czech and Slovak governments, a kind of imaginary peak of the above-standard Czech-Slovak relations. Relations that were taken by the rest of Europe as an example of how good relations between countries can be even after the division of the common state.

Former Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger blames Robert Fico for the crisis in relations between Slovakia and the Czech Republic:

Former Slovak Prime Minister Eduard Heger: The crisis with the Czech Republic was triggered by Fico’s statement

Prime Minister Robert Fico broadly discussed his relations with the Czech Republic and his view of developments in the Czech Republic. It even made it to stories from his basic military service, which he served during the communist era in the territory of the Czech Republic. On the current crisis with Prague Robert Fico among other things, he declared: “Czechs and Slovaks have always depended on cooperation. They almost washed me when I learned that because I have a different opinion on the war in Ukraine, there will not be a joint meeting of the Czech and Slovak governments,” the Slovak prime minister said in the interview.

And in a slightly raised voice he continued: “For God’s sake, what does this have to do with Ukraine? I want to help Ukraine.”

What about Ukraine?

A major part of the interview was devoted to Russian aggression against Ukraine and the position of Robert Fitz and Slovakia, the cause of the conflict, the Euro-Atlantic perspective of Kyiv and the further development of the war in Ukraine. A very interesting passage was about how Slovakia imagines helping Ukraine, what its view is on the supply of weapons to Kyiv and the possible deployment of NATO soldiers to Ukraine. We also asked whether Slovakia will buy American weapons, whether the country is about to resume compulsory war and whether has Slovakiaadjacent to the war zone, concerns about the transfer of the war to their territory.

Slovak political scientist Tomáš Strážay on the current political situation:

Lavrov only served to appease Fico’s voters, claims Slovak political scientist Strážay

The passage that related to Robert Fitz’s attitudes towards European Union, to the question of whether Slovakia should continue to remain part of the core of the European Union. And also whether he would recommend the introduction of the euro to the Czech Republic and why and how, according to him, the current composition of the European Commission needs to be replaced.

Almost in crime?

The most emotional and intense passage of the interview was at the very end. It concerned the efforts of the Slovak government to change the position of Slovak television and radio vis-à-vis the state and government. It was also discussed why Fico is boycotting key Slovak media. And also how he views the attempts from past years to put him in prison today. In a quieter part, Fico confided who he considers to be his closest partner in the Czech Republic and what he would like to do for Slovakia in the coming years of his fourth prime ministerial mandate.