Slovakia- The next possible ally of Russia in EU?

By Samuel Jakubik

As of last week, Slovakia got its first technocratic government in its existence. The three-party coalition government has been ruling in demise since its original fourth member issued a successful no-confidence vote in December 2022.

Mid-May 2023, the Minister of Environment has been proven guilty of giving out grants to a company owned by the Minister of Agriculture. This corruption scandal meant an unconditional resignation of the already very chaotic government in demise. This led to the Slovak President, Zuzana Čaputová, to announce a new technocratic government which will rule until the new parliamentary elections scheduled for autumn this year. Despite the original coalition of four parties agreeing on subjects like pro-EU and pro-NATO policies, they were unable to agree on anything else. Their chaotic and populist governing mixed with the mismanagement of the pandemic, housing crises and inflation creates a perfect environment for the far-right, anti-system and pro-Russian opposition parties which Slovakia has no shortage of.

Slovakia, unlike Poland, is a considerably anti-Western nation, and despite being Ukraine’s neighbor, the polls show around 50% popular support for Russia. You may be asking, if the Slovak population views Russia with such high regard, how did a pro Atlantic government come to exist in the first place?

Going back to 2018, a 27-year-old investigative journalist was assassinated alongside his fiancée. His investigation showed frauds, extreme corruption, and links to mafia of the government at the time. Corruption then became the main theme of the 2020 elections, and the newly formed four-party coalition had hopeful history corruption-wise and promised a new era of Slovak politics. Yes, the same coalition which eventually falls apart due to a corruption scandal.

Latest polls show that if elections happened in spring 2023, unofficial coalition of the pro-Russian would win with the highest support for Smer, the party whose leader has been linked to the assassination of the young journalist. As pro-Atlantic politics is associated with the freshly resigned government, pro-Russian moods are on the rise. Whether Slovakia will follow Hungary in its autocratic and proRussian policies will be clear on 30th of September 2023, the day of the parliamentary elections.