Czech–Slovak relations remain close despite political tensions, says Petr Kaniok of Masaryk University
The Czech and Slovak governments met again on Tuesday after a three-year pause, signalling a renewed phase in bilateral relations. Political scientist Petr Kaniok says cooperation between the two countries remains strong in practical terms. However, he warns that the political dimension of the renewed ties sends a broader signal within the European Union.
Cooperation remains strong in practice
More than three decades after the peaceful split of Czechoslovakia, relations between Czechia and Slovakia remain remarkably close — especially in everyday, practical terms.
“I would say that the cooperation is very close. We have a lot of students at the universities that are coming from Slovakia,” says Petr Kaniok, head of the International Institute of Political Science at Masaryk University. As Petr Kaniok points out, the interruption of official meetings of the two governments was more symbolic than structural. Contacts between ministries, officials and institutions continued behind the scenes, even if the two cabinets were no longer meeting formally at the highest level.
In practice, the two countries remain deeply interconnected. Shared infrastructure projects, economic ties, and long-standing institutional cooperation ensure that Czech–Slovak relations continue to function smoothly on a day-to-day basis.
Politics and symbolism matter
However, Petr Kaniok stresses that the suspension of high-level meetings for three years was not insignificant. Diplomacy cannot be understood purely through the lens of practical cooperation. “I think that diplomacy is not just about the substance, it's not just about the content, but it's I think the reasoning of symbolic dimension is so very important. And in this regard, the renewed cooperation, it sends a clear signal that in terms of the values and in terms of norms, Czech Cabinet sees as being placed closely to what is the current profile of the Slovak cabinet.”
According to him, the decision to resume joint government meetings carries a message that goes beyond bilateral relations. It signals how the current Czech government positions itself politically — not only towards Slovakia, but also within the broader European framework. In recent years, Slovakia, alongside Hungary, has been perceived by some EU partners as taking a more ambiguous or critical stance on key foreign policy issues, particularly regarding Ukraine and relations with Russia.
In this context, renewed Czech–Slovak cooperation may be interpreted as a sign of closer political alignment — or at least a willingness to engage more openly with governments that hold differing views within the European Union. That, Petr Kaniok suggests, could have consequences for how Czechia is perceived by its partners.
Students reflect lasting ties
Perhaps most visibly, the closeness of Czechia and Slovakia is reflected in the movement of people — especially students — across the border. Despite these political nuances, everyday connections between the two countries remain stable — and in many ways unchanged. “I don't have the exact numbers, but in my experience, what I would guess is that the share of Slovak students in the courses who are in the programs where I teach, it remains quite the same across the years… So yeah, so in this regard, I don't see any substantial changes or development.”
Slovak students have long formed a significant part of the student population at Czech universities, benefiting from the close linguistic and cultural ties between the two nations. For many young Slovaks, studying in Czechia remains a natural and accessible choice.
This continuity highlights an important aspect of Czech–Slovak relations: while political dynamics may shift, the underlying social, cultural and institutional connections remain resilient.
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