Former Slovak President Kiska speaks out on Fico, Orbán, Babiš, and the EU
Former Slovak president, Andrej Kiska, gave an interview to Radio Prague International during his visit to the Czech capital, in which he expressed concern about his country's future under Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's government and about a possible Czech rapprochement with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán following this year's general elections.
In late April, Slovakia's president from 2014 to 2019, Andrej Kiska, visited the Anglo-American University in Prague to give a talk on “Democracy and Civic Duty.” Radio Prague International took the opportunity to speak with the businessman and philanthropist about the authoritarian drift his country has been taking since Robert Fico took office.
“Fico is a very tough guy, and we have a government that we're very unhappy with. Of course, first, there’s his influence on international politics and Slovakia’s relations within the EU. Then, there’s domestic politics. From an international perspective, Fico is moving Slovakia closer to Russia, and I can say, against the EU. He’s not as bad as Viktor Orbán, but he is really moving in a direction that many Slovaks don’t like. The problem is that, deep down, he doesn’t really believe in Russia or Russian values. The issue is that he’s very populist. What he says and does is driven by his desire to gain popularity among his potential electorate. And since he’s lost the support of the 'normal people', although it's hard to define 'normal,' I'm referring to those who support democracy—he’s started to move closer to the extremist part of Slovakia. That’s why he’s doing what he’s doing.”
At the same time, Kiska acknowledged Fico’s charismatic nature. He argues that it’s primarily because of this inherent ‘friendliness’ that Fico appeals to so many:
“If he were sitting here with us now, he would be the friendliest person you’ve ever met. He would offer to serve you a drink and be very pleasant. Many people who met him for the first time were surprised. He met with bankers, and when he was sitting with them, he would say, 'Listen, I understand the role of banks and everything that, as bankers, you have to take into account in our country.' But as soon as he speaks to the press, he says, 'The bankers are our enemies. We need to take their money,' and so on. It’s like schizophrenia, let’s call it.”
On Fico, Orbán, and Babiš
The comparison between Fico and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is now on many people’s minds. The former Slovak president elaborated on why he also makes that comparison:
“Fico and Orbán are almost the same. Orbán is worse. But when I was president and Fico was prime minister, Fico wasn't against the media; he wasn’t against free media as he is today. Fico has learned a lot from Orbán, and that’s a problem. I’m also worried that Babiš could do the same if he looks to Orbán and Fico as examples for the Czech Republic.”
Kiska also referred to ANO leader Andrej Babiš, the favorite to regain power after this fall's general elections in Czechia:
“I’m surprised that, as a former entrepreneur, he can be such a populist. I think Fico and Orbán would, of course, love for him to win and form a coalition. I’m not sure how they’ll structure themselves or how they’ll behave. I think Fico, today, in the EU, is much less isolated than Orbán if there’s a vote against Russia. Fico is generally aligned with the EU, while Orbán is much more isolated. And I’m not sure if Babiš would be more like Fico, sticking with the EU, or more like Orbán, even if he voted against it.”
“I don’t like Trump, but he’s right about some things.”
Hungary in particular has become a stumbling block to maintaining EU unity, especially regarding sanctions against Russia in light of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The EU as a whole must tread carefully in these cases to uphold its principles and values, says Kiska, and use its best tools.
“Of course, the strongest weapon is money, because both Hungary and Slovakia depend heavily on funds from the European Union. We receive a lot of money. But the EU has to handle this properly; they can't just say, 'We don't like your opinion, so we’ll cut EU funds.' But what’s the basic rule? They have to take action. I think the EU system, especially the decision-making process, needs to change. There shouldn't be a veto right in the EU, because you'll always find someone who's, let's say, 'a little crazy.' That could easily happen in Austria now; they could have a very strange prime minister. Fortunately for them, they formed a coalition that’s not so bad. But it could happen that any EU country could end up with a leader who disrupts things. That leader shouldn’t be able to stop the EU and its basic rules from functioning.”
Another entity that isn't functioning is the Visegrád Group, according to Kiska, which comprises Slovakia, Czechia, Hungary, and Poland. The group has gone through many different stages. Currently, the internal differences are so great that even Kiska laughs at the mere mention of the Group.
“Visegrád isn’t functioning right now because, for example, there’s Poland, which is fighting very hard for Ukraine and feels strong solidarity with the Ukrainian people in their fight against Russian aggression. Then there’s Orbán, who is absolutely pro-Russia and is doing absurd things. So, Visegrád isn’t working, but the situation in all our countries is changing. I wouldn’t completely dismantle Visegrád, I’d keep it. Visegrád was formed to protect our interests because, especially Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Hungary, are relatively small. If we join Poland, we will become a bigger force. To have a strong voice in the EU, you need to represent a certain group of people. If you don’t have that, no one listens to you. That’s why Visegrád was formed—to come together before, for example, an EU summit and speak with one voice. But, of course, that’s not happening now.”
Kiska also touched on the UN and its incapacity to do what it was designed for, namely end conflicts and provide peace to conflict-ridden areas:
“The United Nations is not functioning as it should either. It was created for a specific purpose, and it's not fulfilling it. It should be reorganized. I don't like Trump, but he's right about some things. There should be a profound restructuring of NATO and the UN. The United Nations was created to keep the peace, but it doesn't work, and that's the problem.”
Never give up
With regard to authoritarianism, Kiska said that he found inspiration in the Dalai Lama himself.
“The most important thing is to never give up. I just visited the Dalai Lama in India, and he's been in exile for 66 years. Sixty-six years ago, he had to leave Tibet and live in India. Tibetans are under a lot of pressure in Tibet. And, you know, living 66 years away from your country, from your home, a lot of people have that illusion: will there ever be a chance to change it? And he always repeats: 'Never give up.' And that's what I can say: ‘Never give up.’ ”
