Opposition Again Urges Premier Fico to Call Off His Trip to Moscow

Bratislava, May 7 (TASR) - The opposition is calling on Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) to cancel his planned trip to Moscow for the 80th anniversary celebrations of the end of WWII in the interests of Slovakia. At a joint press conference on Wednesday, representatives of opposition parties Progressive Slovakia (PS), Freedom and Solidarity (SaS), the Christian Democrats (KDH) and the non-parliamentary 'Democrats' stated that they consider this move to be a disgrace and another low point for Slovak foreign policy. They warned that it risks undermining trust among Slovakia's allies and partners. According to them, Fico isn't going to Moscow to represent Slovakia, but to serve his own interests. They also pointed out that he's the only EU prime minister planning to attend the event. Meanwhile, opposition parties 'Slovakia' and 'For the People' urged Fico to come up with an excuse not to travel and thus avoid what they described as "treason against the Slovak Republic". Michal Simecka, the leader of PS, called Fico's planned trip "one of the worst moments in Slovak foreign policy". "At a time when we need a united Europe and strong ties with our allies, Robert Fico is giving them the middle finger. He's the only EU prime minister going to Moscow to bow to a dictator and war criminal," said Simecka. Simecka agreed that Slovakia should develop diplomatic relations beyond Europe, including at the level of the prime minister, but he stated that "a propaganda event in Moscow" is not the way to do it. Ivan Korcok, a member of PS leadership and former foreign minister (2020-23), added that the trip is "a gross violation of Slovakia's interests and a slap in the face of Slovak citizens and our allies". Simecka also emphasised that the united stance among the opposition parties shows there is a real alternative to the current coalition government. "Standing here with me are representatives of conservative and liberal parties who may not agree on everything, but when it comes to democracy, freedom and Slovakia's place in Europe, we are on the same page and we won't back down." The opposition leaders also announced that they will commemorate Victory Day (May 8) with gatherings in multiple Slovak cities, and they encouraged people to join in. MP Frantisek Miklosko (KDH) criticised claims that peace talks will take place in Moscow, calling this "communist propaganda". "Putin says that he will not back down and won't end the war until his demands are met, while he continues killing senselessly, murdering young people and Ukrainians. Talking peace now is just ideology and propaganda," he said. MP Maria Kolikova (SaS) also spoke. "You can't celebrate the victory over fascism with a fascist. What Nazi Germany was in World War II, Russia under Vladimir Putin is today," she stated. Kolikova added that if Fico were a sovereign leader, he would focus on making it clear that Slovakia is a strong part of the EU and NATO. mf/df