Sutaj Estok: It's Imperative to Revisit Europe's Direction

Bratislava, 4 September (TASR) – It is necessary to reconsider the direction in which Europe is heading, stated Matus Sutaj Estok, leader of Voice–Social Democracy and Slovakia’s Interior Minister, on social media on Thursday. Commenting on the recent military parade in Beijing, he remarked that the international order established after the Second World War is changing. According to Sutaj Estok, the world has entered a new era in which countries like China, India, and other major economies are asserting their interests and strengthening their positions. „Instead of recognising this reality and trying to make the most of it for its people, Europe is doing the exact opposite. Rather than building a strong and confident Union through pragmatic solutions, it continues to adopt politically motivated regulations and bans," added Sutaj Estok. He believes the outcome is a weaker economy, higher prices, declining competitiveness, and a gradual decrease in Europeans’ standard of living. At the same time, he emphasised that there is no alternative for Slovakia other than the EU and NATO. „We are a country with the most open economy and a small army. But we cannot stay silent when we see Europe heading down a path of self-harm. We want a strong, confident, and competitive Europe. But if European leaders continue to close their eyes to reality, bury their heads in the sand, and pretend that nothing is happening, the entire continent will face serious problems," he wrote. Sutaj Estok stated that Europe should carry weight and respect on the global stage, which will require a fundamental course correction. „We need to rethink Europe's direction. Europe needs a return to common sense. It must abandon ideological constraints that have led it into a dead end and start pursuing pragmatic politics," he said, adding that Europe must find the courage to change in order to regain its position as a global power. Otherwise, he warned, others will take its place. In the Chinese capital Beijing, a ceremonial military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War began at 9:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, 3 September. The event, hosted by Chinese President Xi Jinping, was attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. The only senior representative from any EU or NATO member state present was Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD). mf