A war of words erupted between the Czech and Slovak governments last week, as Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico accused the Czech government of interfering in Slovak domestic affairs. Responding on social media, Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky categorically denied any accusation of interference, and Prime Minister Petr Fiala called the accusation absurd.
“The accusation by Robert Fico that the Czech Republic is interfering in Slovakia’s affairs is absurd,” wrote Fiala. “Unless the Slovak prime minister means the way [ANO leader] Andrej Babis supported him before the previous Slovak elections,” he added, concluding his post with a smiling emoji.
Last Monday, Fico accused Czech politicians of meddling in Slovakia’s affairs, arguing that the attacks on him circulating in the Czech Republic were mainly aimed at smearing ANO leader and former PM Andrej Babis.
On Friday, Fico again accused Czech politicians and media of interfering in Slovakia’s internal affairs. He made the remarks at a meeting with diplomats, specifically addressing Czech ambassador Rudolf Jindrak, who was present.
“Mr Ambassador, I do not understand the interference of the Czech political and media scene in the internal political affairs of the Slovak Republic,” Fico said. “It is not right if any attitudes, views and recommendations concerning the Slovak domestic political situation come from the other side of Moravia.”
“The Czech Republic is a democratic society and that includes freedom of speech,” wrote Lipavsky in response. “We strongly deny that the Czech government is interfering in the affairs of the Slovak Republic. Let us not build artificial walls between our nations. I thank Ambassador Rudolf Jindrak for his work on relations between the Czech Republic and Slovakia.”
The Slovak prime minister particularly criticised the Czech media for the image it has created of the Slovak political leadership, which he said was “far beyond acceptability and any notion of decency.” Fico has also strongly criticised some Slovak media, and has been accused of seeking to undermine the independence of both private and state media in his country.
Last March, Fiala’s government suspended Czech-Slovak intergovernmental consultations due to differences of opinion on key foreign policy topics, mainly in relation to Ukraine.
Two weeks ago, Babis said in an interview with CTK that he would like to resume the intergovernmental meetings if ANO returned to power.
However, speaking yesterday on Czech Television’s discussion show ‘Questions from Vaclav Moravec’, Fiala said the conditions were not right to resume the Czech-Slovak intergovernmental consultations. He cited the main reason as the current foreign policy of Fico’s government, including Fico’s negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
“I think that in this situation and given these foreign policy actions from Slovakia, such a format would not be appropriate,” said Fiala. “I do not see any reason or conditions for it yet.” He added that the prime minister and ministers from both countries were engaged in bilateral talks and that he would meet Fico during the EU meeting in Brussels on Monday.
In his televised remarks yesterday, Fiala again repeatedly dismissed Fico’s accusations of interference in Slovakia’s internal politics as “completely unreasonable and wrong”.
“I do not interfere in Slovakia’s internal affairs, none of my colleagues do,” he said. He noted that, unlike Babis, he had not recommended to anyone in Slovakia who they should vote for. The prime minister insisted, however, that he had the right to comment on actions by the Slovak government that could threaten Czech interests.
Asked whether he considered Fico a pro-Russian politician, Fiala said: “I hear more criticism of Brussels than criticism of Moscow, I find that strange.” He said that Fico had a foreign policy “that does not correspond to our interests, security, strategic, economic”. Fiala added that he would repeat this to Fico on Monday.
