Krupa: Slovakia's Reputation in 2025 Hits Rock Bottom, Worse Than We Feared

Bratislava, 30 December (TASR) – Slovakia's reputation fell even lower in 2025 than feared, with the country perceived within the EU and NATO as an unreliable partner promoting Russian interests in Europe while the relations with its partners and allies have deteriorated significantly, opposition's MP Juraj Krupa of Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) has said in an interview for TASR. "Regular threats and labelling our closest European allies as warmongers on the one hand, and presenting eastern dictatorships as models for our republic's future on the other, make Slovakia not only an unreliable ally but also a politically and economically unreliable destination for foreign investment. Investors are bypassing Slovakia because they have lost trust as well as predictability in political developments," the MP told TASR. According to Krupa, Slovakia's relations with partners and allies worsened markedly again this year, as evidenced by the absence of bilateral visits. "Better relations with Vietnam or Laos will not compensate for this deterioration. On the contrary, they will continue to mean a worsening of not only political but also economic relations, with an impact on Slovakia’s socioeconomic situation," he noted. The MP said that only relations with Hungary could be described as good. "An improvement in relations with the government of Andrej Babis in the Czech Republic is also expected. That is where the list of Slovakia's good relations ends," he added. The so-called sovereign policy towards four cardinal points of the compass is a veneer for a "subservient policy towards eastern dictatorial regimes", the MP said, adding that it has drawn global and media attention to Slovakia. "Our representatives have also attracted attention by rejecting scientific facts on vaccination, or by conspiracy theories about a flat Earth, chemtrails and a global plot by so-called dark forces. They have also alarmed the public with claims of a planned coup in Slovakia by Georgian legions, or by accusing the United Kingdom of interfering in Slovakia's election process. By constantly repeating Russian positions regarding attacked Ukraine, this governing coalition has also managed to turn Slovakia into a pro-Russian, unreliable partner," he added. Looking ahead, Krupa said the biggest foreign policy challenge next year will clearly be ending the war in Ukraine and strengthening Europe's defence capabilities, as well as setting up the capacity to respond adequately to Russia's hybrid attacks against Europe. "A sovereign, pro-European Ukraine will be key to the security of Slovakia and Europe, as will close cooperation with Ukraine in bolstering Europe's defence capabilities based on Ukraine's experience," he said. These should form the basis of Slovakia's foreign policy priorities, he added, leading to stronger European unity in support of Ukraine and Slovakia's involvement in the so-called coalition of the willing. "This would call for a fundamental improvement in Slovakia's bilateral relations with Poland, Germany, France and the United Kingdom, as well as activating defence mechanisms against Russia's aggressive hybrid activities in Slovakia. The realistic outlook, however, is the exact opposite: support for centrifugal forces against our closest partners and allies at home, and the continued gradual distancing from the European Union," the MP concluded. mf