106 years since Czechoslovakia’s founding, Robert Fico tests Czech-Slovak relations
Yesterday, Czechs celebrated the 106th anniversary of the founding of Czechoslovakia in a nationwide state holiday. But despite the historically close links between Czechs and Slovaks, since Robert Fico's return as Slovakia's prime minister in 2023, there has been a distinct cooling in relations between the former sister states. I spoke with Kristína Chlebáková, Project Manager at the EUROPEUM Institute for Foreign Policy, to reflect on Czech-Slovak relations and explore what might lie ahead.
Since Robert Fico’s return to power in 2023, the country underwent a series of reforms, dubbed by some “Orbanization.” This included the restructuring of the state-funded broadcaster Radio and Television of Slovakia (RTVS), the dissolution of the Office of the Special Prosecutor to halt corruption investigations, and threats to the media, journalists, and NGOs. Because of this election primarily, Slovak and Czech relations have soured. Can you comment on this development and what you make of it?
“Sure, I would maybe say that the relations didn’t sour because of the election itself, but rather what happened after the election when it became clear what Fico’s government would be saying especially internationally.
“The main reason for the sourness on the highest political level is the deep differences between Czechia and Slovakia in their support for Ukraine. However, I have to say that is mostly the narrative because Slovakia remains a big military supporter of Ukraine in their war effort.
“When it comes to the developments, I would not expect any major changes going further because of the upcoming [2025 parliamentary] election in Czechia and the Czech government giving no reason to change its stance.
“When talking about what Fico has done in the first year in power, you mentioned all of this. I should say this is his attempt to consolidate his power and, at times, to use the anti-Ukrainian narrative to hide his, in what can be probably called, ‘Orbanization’ efforts.”
And then turning to Andrej Babiš’s potential reelection. Some are saying that because of the positive results we have seen for his ANO Party in the Czech Senate and regional elections and also that there doesn’t seem to be that much opposition to a potential Babiš election here. Could that potentially create, let’s say, better relations between the Czech and Slovak leadership because we would have some semblance of two populist parties? Could that become something some people might see as a “normalization” between the two countries?
“Yes, well, firstly it’s important to say that the sourness of the relations came at the highest political level. The Czech and Slovak relations and cooperation is much deeper and has so many years behind it that the breakdown in cooperation did not go much further.
“But, yes, the potential of Babiš coming back to power next year in Czechia, I expect the relations with Slovakia and other countries in Central Europe, like Austria and Hungary, would be much warmer. This is not to say that this is something we would like to see in terms of EU cooperation. But, yes, Babiš is more on the level of what Robert Fico and his government are trying to do. I expect that the policy areas to cooperate would also increase.
“We also see some kind of affinity for Babiš in the last few weeks in Slovakia. It came even earlier than that when Babiš was a big supporter of Peter Pellegrini in his election to be the Slovak president in the Spring.”
You don’t see any souring, since we were touching on it, between the people themselves. Do you expect that to continue? In Czechia, migration concerns continue and some people have been used as a scapegoat, but it’s unexpected that Babiš would use, for example, the Slovakian population and a lot of Slovakians do indeed reside in cities like Brno. So, why aren’t they used as a scapegoat?
“I don’t really see it that way because the Czech, Slovak, and maybe Hungarian migration is really culturally based. Czechs still see Slovaks as their brothers. Myself, as a Slovakian living in Prague, I don’t see the narrative against the Slovak migration into Czechia forming. Slovakians are always taken as a high-skilled labor force that can help the economy in Czechia.
“What they have in common – and what I expect would even be highlighted in the narrative in case of Babiš’s return – is fighting against migration from culturally distant countries, countries where they see migrants as using the system and not contributing to it.”
