Czech Republic and Slovakia’s relations have taken a turn for the worse, with the current state of affairs leaving much to be desired. According to a recent article by Politico, the relationship is at its lowest point ever, even worse than in 1993 when the Czechoslovakia split into two independent republics. The main reason for this is the politics of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who is increasingly drawing closer to Moscow. This has led to differing views on the war in Ukraine, as Politico notes.
The communication between Fico and his Czech counterpart, Petr Fiala, is marked by mutual claims and accusations. In fact, Prague has even discontinued a long-standing tradition of informal cabinet meetings with Bratislava, as Politico highlights.
Fico has accused Czech media and politicians of interfering in the internal affairs of Slovakia. “I can identify dozens of instances of Czech politicians interfering in Slovak internal affairs and just as many attacks on the Slovak Prime Minister, which spread like a cancer in Czech media” Fico said at a press conference in late January. Prague has rejected Fico’s accusations.
Fiala has refused to resume the joint cabinet meetings due to the foreign policy of the Slovak government. Fico has “a completely different view on international political issues” Fiala said in an interview on the FLOW program, adding, “If someone criticizes Brussels more often than Moscow, that’s at least strange.”
In an interview with Politico, political scientist Petr Kaniok noted that the current relations between the two countries should be seen in their historical context. “Fico’s government is a reflection of certain sentiments that have always been present in Slovakia” he said. “We know from history that the Slovak population has always been more pro-Russian and more suspicious of the West than the Czech population.” Kaniok described Fico’s policy as “typical populism, when you find an external enemy and blame everything on them.”
According to a Globsec Trends 2024 survey, only 41% of Slovaks blame Russia for the start of the war in Ukraine, compared to 68% of Czechs.
Despite the current state of affairs, there is potential for a restart, as Politico notes. The democracies in Central and Eastern Europe are changeable, like “friendly enemies who rarely stay in a dispute for long.”
Andrej Babiš, the leader of the Czech opposition party ANO and a native of Slovakia, is likely to succeed Fiala as Czech Prime Minister in the fall, according to Politico. Babiš has promised to renew the informal meetings with Slovakia if he wins the election.
Politico highlights that Fico and Babiš, both former members of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, have maintained their friendly relationships. Babiš has supported Fico and his political allies, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini, in the 2023/2024 elections.
If Babiš wins the election, it could mean that Prague will soon follow Bratislava on the path to the east, as Politico suggests. This would expand the “cremlin-friendly block in Central Europe” to include Slovakia, Hungary and possibly Austria, making it more influential on the EU level. This block resembles the Visegrád Group, which Babiš aims to revive, according to his own words.
The Visegrád Group was established in 1991 by the Czechoslovakia, Poland and Hungary to promote regional cooperation and later to strengthen the voting power of its members in the EU. The group has largely been forgotten in the face of the deep political controversies between its members, as Politico notes. “The Visegrád Group functioned best when the prime ministers personally met” Kaniok said. “That was the case with Babiš as the leader of the Czech government, with Robert Fico in Slovakia, with Viktor Orbán in Hungary and with Mateusz Morawiecki in Poland.”
If Babiš returns to power, Kaniok suggests, these countries, except for Poland, could continue where they left off. And this would have “apocalyptic consequences for European unity.