Slovakia - Abducted State

Slovakia is ruled by the oligarchs today, and this is not a successful task – says sociologist Michal Vashka in an interview with Aurelius Mark Runwol

Aurelius M. Run: Did you find it amazing that the Slovaks had reinstated Robert Fica, whom they had rejected twice before?

Michal Vashka: It was foreseeable that after 3 years of chaos and incompetent country management during the pandemic by then Prime Minister Igor Matovich, his organization would not win the election in 2023. I was surprised, on the another hand, that as a social Democrat, Robert Fico entered the way of extremism and cooperation with neo-fascists after losing the 2020 elections, crossing with his organization Smer (Direction) any red lines that democratic politicians must not cross. It is not meaningless that Fico was a associate of the communist organization until 1989.

Fico and his political friends mobilized people and radicalized them by utilizing disinformation, scaring and stigmatizing the opposition. It turned out that for many of them it became a dominant competence, and that is what they do best. And these are the people who are interfering with the functioning of the state today. And this country isn't working right now.

Many mistakes were besides made by the coalition that ruled before.

It's true. Although Matovich and Heger's cabinets held power since 2020 in terms of pandemics and wars in Ukraine, they were primarily Slovakia's most chaotic governments since 1989. It was all this chaos and all the irrational decisions made by these 3 years that brought so many supporters.

So how is Slovakia? In the early 1990s, she voted for the Matchier, but yet in 1998 she could turn distant from him. She picked Fica 4 times, but she knocked him down twice. What does sociological investigation say?

It's just that this communicative can be different. erstwhile it is the message of the Matchier or Facy, with all of these attributes. At another times, it is simply a civic and pro-western tale of elites who managed to preserve democracy despite the fact that the greater part of the Slovak public is anti-American, anti-Western, pro-Russian and authoritarian.

And it was the another Slovakia that elected Susan Chaputova to the presidential office...

...and before that, Andrei Kiska. In Slovakia, there are respective 1000 people who can be called elites, in the normative sense. For 35 years these people managed to prevent the State from being taken completely and dragged far east. Membership in the European Union and NATO surely makes this difficult.

The price for that is high. This country is not functioning well. However, in a sense, she was abducted and broke off with the politics set out during the velvet revolution and by Prime Minister Dzurinda from 1998 to 2006, who pushed through all crucial reforms and introduced the country to NATO and the Union. As a result, today's biggest challenge is not so much a dilemma, whether Slovakia is simply a liberal democracy or simply a procedural one, but a threat that alternatively of functioning, even with difficulties, it will only fight for survival. Or it will function, but as an authoritarian state.

It's not just a Slovak challenge.

Agreed. But erstwhile we look at the economy of the country, its infrastructure, for example, Poland is constantly developing. 1 faster, the another slower, but still. Whether Tusk or Kaczyński governs. Slovakia, erstwhile richer than Poland, is now undergoing a deep regression. So we have 2 problems – political and economic, and Fico is neither prepared nor able to do anything about 1 or the another within a democratic system.

And the 3rd problem is the attitude towards Ukraine?

Yeah. Slovakia is more proputin, pro-Russian and, above all, much more susceptible to conspiracy theories than another countries of Central and east Europe.

Even more than Bulgaria. At least that's what the GLOBSEC TRENDS polls say.

Russian propaganda was highly effective in Slovakia for many years. She managed to confuse a large part of Slovak society. Conspiracy theorists are already the majority in Slovakia. Of course, they are in all countries, but the scale is different.

So what should the Slovak opposition, in which the liberal organization is the strongest, do? By the way, it is interesting that 1 large part of Slovak voters vote for populists and the other, besides small, for liberals.

Progressive Slovakia, which is simply a liberal party, already has 24 percent of support according to any studies. This is truly a lot, given that liberalism does not have much tradition in Slovakia.

And the another Liberal party, SaS, that is Freedom and Solidarity?

This one's about 5 percent.

But that's almost 30 percent. What does that mean?

That Progressive Slovakia is now waiting for Fic's government's mistakes.

Is that enough?

It's adequate to win the election, but it might not be adequate to form a government. Progressive Slovakia wants to show that Fico can't rule, which is true. He always ruled after individual who consolidated finances and the state. erstwhile he came, the table was so set. And he gave it all away.

This was erstwhile he first came in 2006, after 8 years of Dzurinda's rule, which was a time of large boom. After 4 years, the right wing regained power, but only for 2 years. Did she manage to get Slovakia back on her feet again?

No, but erstwhile Fico returned in 2012, the state was consolidated adequate again. And the first time, and the second time, erstwhile he embraced power, political weather was sunny and pleasant. But now she's angry, very angry.

And his budget's falling apart.

His full country is falling apart. Progressive Slovakia can so number on success. However, the problem is whether democratic parties have a chance to win a majority in parliament. The polls have been doing about 40 percent for a long time. Optimists say that Fico does not have a crucial majority in parliament. The thing is, however, there are 3 parties that could support him. If they entered the coalition, his government could theoretically have even a constitutional majority.

What parties are they?

The utmost right-wing Republic had almost 5 percent. The proorban Hungarian coalition was besides very close to 5 percent. And yet a populist Sme rodina (We are a Family) who got 2 and a half percent. Fico so has the possible to form a government after the upcoming elections, despite the fact that it can be won by the Democratic Party, which is Progressive Slovakia.

Can there be another grandstand after the Matchier and Ficy that will bring crowds again?

That's the risk. We don't know his name, we don't know what his organization is going to be, but he'll be anti-European and authoritarian.

Because the Slovaks want a strong hand?

Exactly. The consequence of the 2023 elections was no exception, and that was not the only reason why the Matovich government became a misfortune for Slovakia. The point is that specified a strong hand policy wants a large part of Slovaks. possibly most of it. Yes, the Slovaks want the chief. Or possibly even a savior.

And their attitude towards the war of Russia against Ukraine? Is it consistent with what Fico says?

He has a problem due to the fact that before the elections he kept saying that he was against the war in Ukraine and besides against the government of Ukraine. Fico tries to play all sides and be friends with everyone – and Moscow, and Brussels, and Washington, and Berlin. At the same time, meet their voters, most of whom are openly anti-Ukrainian and pro-Russian.

We want to be a bridge due to the fact that Slovakia is neither in the East nor in the West?

Exactly. Only that specified a strategy is good for the time of sunny weather, erstwhile nothing happens, and for us there are no values but one: last as best as possible. But now there's war, and who says he's friends with everyone, he's truly no one's friend. Nobody thinks he's an honest partner. Slovakia is present a country that nobody talks to. This time, the policy aimed at all 4 sides of the world, which Fico is trying to lead, is no longer successful. most likely due to the fact that he yet turned out to be a pro-Russian, pro-putinist politician. And pro-Trumpian.

Slovakia lost 2 partners from the Visegrad Group, but gained one. In the Union and NATO, an anti-EU and anti-Nata coalition was born: Orbán and Fico. What can that cause?

But there are differences. Orbán plays this game openly. From the AFD in Germany, from Marine Le Pen in France, with Georgia Meloni in Italy. And in Washington, he even built a think tank to influence the Republican Party. At the summertime school in Romania, which he visits all year, and always something strong will “fire” there, he said this time that Europe is over and the future of the planet is in Asia. That's why we Hungarians will work with Asia due to the fact that that's where our ancestors came from.

That's not Ficy's position. He was never curious in abroad politics, no games. He just wants to rule. And you gotta say he's doing it. any people thought Brussels would be unhappy...

It is, isn't it?

It may be, but there's no effect. Fico behaves in an unacceptable way from the position of Brussels, but there are no consequences. Euro-fund money continues to flow.

So Europe should figure out how to deal with people like Orbán and Fico?

Yeah, due to the fact that Orbán hasn't been able to handle it for a twelve years. Fice for a year.

And shortly they will be joined by Andrei Babish.

And shortly there may besides be Andry Babish in the Czech Republic, and Herbert Kickl in Austria. I realize that no 1 is allowed to relegate from the Union, these are the rules of this club. But if individual in this club does not comply with accepted standards, sanctions must be imposed on them. Or else she'll keep doing it. Orbán and Fico will proceed to act as they operate.

Does the Slovak opposition have any ideas to halt Ficy, especially in the context of Ukraine? Do Slovak experts have them? Like Michal Vashka?

Progressive Slovakia is waiting for Fica's mistakes to show that he can't rule. Meanwhile, more extremist action is needed. Back to the beginning. In 32 years since the establishment of independent Slovakia, we see that this is not a very successful project. Slovakia was created without the consent of its citizens, without a referendum, and Mechiar created the oligarchs who have ruled the country so far, as the oligarchs regulation Russia.

It's not adequate just to wait for mistakes. The way out is to build Slovakia again, build a fresh ethos of the state. In France they have the 5th Republic, in Poland there is the 3rd Republic. Slovaks would have a 3rd too.

Is anyone working on a task like this?

There are ideas of intellectuals, but not enough. Slovakia needs structural changes primarily in terms of ideas and values and the resulting political and organization changes.

The Second Slovak Republic was created without the consent of its citizens. Its foundations include manipulation, lies, disregard for people, dishonesty, distrust. civilian society has already been informed 3 times. Actually 4 times, due to the fact that in November 1989 people united under the slogan "Society Against Violence", in 1998 they appeared against the manipulations of the Mosque, in 2018 they demonstrated "for decent Slovakia", and this year they request respect for agreements concluded with our allies, which warrant our pro-Western orientation. In fact, citizens of this country have already laid the perfect foundation for Slovakia's future. Now there must be a political force that can transform these ideas into a state and its institutions and give the country a chance for real success.

Michal Vashka – Sociologist has been working on cultural issues for years and researching populism and extremism. He studied at Masaryka University in Brno and at fresh School University in fresh York. Since 2017, he has been manager of the Bratislava Policy Institute, since 2012 he has represented Slovakia in the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance ECRI at the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. He is the president of the editorial board "Denníka N", 1 of the leading regular newspapers in Slovakia.

Aurelius M. Runwol, journalist, co-author of Polish editorial Deutsche Welle, years ago besides Polish sections of the BBC and RFI, Paris Culture. For 20 years he was a correspondent for the Vienna economical diary WirtschaftsBlatt.ro