"This is the end of the era when Czech politicians made it clear they were above us, acting like father figures who need to lecture us. Fortunately, that's behind us now," said Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer) in response to the results of the Czech parliamentary elections held over the weekend.
Relations between the Czech and Slovak governments have cooled since Fico returned to office. Last year, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala suspended regular joint meetings of the two cabinets, citing deep differences in foreign policy, including Slovakia's contacts with Russian officials. At the time, Fico described Czech politicians as warmongers and later portrayed the suspension as an unwillingness to respect Slovakia's sovereign position.
Fico now hopes that relations could improve if Andrej Babiš were to become the new Czech prime minister. He suggested that the Visegrad Four group -- comprising Czechia, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia -- could regain strength if he, Babiš, and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán managed to persuade Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to cooperate. Of the four countries, Poland remains a firm supporter of Ukraine, while Slovakia and Hungary have taken opposing stances, leaving the V4 largely inactive in recent years.
According to Fico, the Visegrad Four remains an important regional platform for advancing national and state interests, particularly in areas such as gas, electricity, and oil. He also argued that the group had been intentionally weakened because it was "too strong."
Smer MP Ján Richter expressed similar optimism, saying he expects Slovak-Czech relations to improve and that joint cabinet meetings will resume. "I believe that the Czech Republic and Slovakia will also move closer in their foreign policy positions," he added.
President Peter Pellegrini shared the sentiment, posting on social media: "I believe the Czech Republic will have a government that will contribute to the development of Slovak-Czech relations and help revive cooperation among the V4 countries."
Speaker of Parliament Richard Raši (Hlas) also expressed hope for renewed cooperation between the parliaments and governments of both countries. SNS caucus chair Roman Michelko said he believes Babiš would be a closer ally to Fico than outgoing Prime Minister Petr Fiala.
Opposition SaS chair Branislav Gröhling said he felt politically closer to Fiala but respected the outcome of the Czech elections. He welcomed the fact that the Stačilo! movement, which defended the crimes of the communist regime, failed to enter parliament. However, he questioned whether Babiš would be able to revive the V4, arguing that Poland's position differs significantly and that it has little to gain from such cooperation.
Ivan Korčok of Progressive Slovakia praised the high voter turnout, saying the result shows that Czechs desire change -- a message that could inspire similar change in Slovakia in two years. On the issue of renewed joint government sessions, however, he remained cautious, noting that major foreign policy disagreements still persist.
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FEATURE STORY
Recently, the first Slovak novel, written by Jozef Ignác Bajza and published in 1784-85, has been translated into a foreign language for the first time.
Taking on Bajza was no small challenge for translator David Short - many Slovaks today would struggle to understand the book in its original form, not to mention the meandering plot, strange digressions appearing out of nowhere, and the sentences teetering sometimes on the edge of intelligibility.
Written at a time when Europe already had Boccaccio, Rabelais, Cervantes, and Defoe, Slovak literature was still at the beginning. Yet, the novel shows shows that it was part of European culture and its currents.
EVENT: The Bratislava in Movement contemporary dance festival kicks off today, running until October 25. Now in its 29th edition, the festival brings internationally acclaimed artists to multiple venues across the capital. For full programme details and tickets, click here.
WEATHER FOR TUESDAY: Expect partly cloudy to overcast skies with rain and showers across much of Slovakia and snow above 1,700 metres. Daytime highs will reach around 10°C in the north and 12°C to 17°C elsewhere. (SHMÚ)
OCTOBER 7 NAME DAY IN SLOVAKIA: All the best to Eliškas marking their nameday in Slovakia on Tuesday.
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