Mihok: Problem for Both Slovakia and EU: Economy Reduced to Political Appendage

Bratislava, 1 February (TASR) - Despite its declared policy oriented in all four cardinal directions, which is fundamentally the right approach, Slovakia remains heavily dependent on the internal market of the European Union (EU) and lacks the internal potential to truly fulfil this principle, Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SOPK) head Peter Mihok stated at a conference called 'Expected Developments in the Slovak Economy in 2026'. The fundamental problem for Slovakia and the EU itself is that the economy has become merely an appendage of politics, which often sets unrealistic goals in both public life and the social sphere. "We're living at the expense of future generations and aren't generating sufficient development momentum for the future. This fact is partly evident from our survey of the business environment. This gave a harsh but truthful assessment of our economic policy, which is gradually eroding the space for business entities, but also for capable individuals who see greater opportunities beyond Slovakia's borders than at home. The risk of deindustrialisation is more than real, with all its implications for politics, social affairs and people's living standards," he stated. According to him, all this is taking place in an environment of relentless political struggle that doesn't even respect the basic rules of the game. "A battle for likes isn't a path to economic prosperity. It's essential for the future of our country, our citizens and our companies that we should work together to find a way out of the current situation. Slovakia and its economy are just a small boat in a stormy global and European sea. If we can't agree at home on the basic attributes and paths of our economic direction, we'll get lost in an uncertain world," he emphasised. "We must also demonstrate our political maturity and agree on what is key for the country, and we should compete politically mainly regarding how to achieve this goal. In the European space, we need to realise that without pan-European cooperation, Europe as a continent, its companies and its citizens will be exposed to further decline," he warned. "So, let's get back to the idea that we refer to in international politics as 'detente', a term used to describe a political period in which tensions between blocs are reduced. One of the best examples of this is the 1975 Helsinki Accords, which, at the height of the Cold War, showed the way to reduce tensions between the superpowers and between military-political pacts, and established a rational form of cooperation between East and West," he stressed. am/df/jrg