Why Slovak PM Fico’s Critique of the EU Says More About Bratislava Than Brussels
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s recent criticism of the European Union should be read primarily as domestic political messaging rather than a substantive strategic assessment of the EU’s future. This is one of the key conclusions highlighted in a recent analysis published by Azernews, which references comments by Sebastian Schäffer, Director of the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM).
According to Schäffer, Fico’s warnings about an alleged “collapse” of the European Union fit into a broader pattern of political rhetoric aimed at consolidating support at home. Emphasising national sovereignty and traditional values has become a familiar strategy among several political actors in Central Europe, particularly when addressing electorates sceptical of Brussels.
The analysis notes that while the EU is undoubtedly facing structural and political challenges, framing these as existential threats risks obscuring the Union’s continued strategic relevance for its member states. Schäffer underlines that Slovakia’s economic development, security environment, and regional integration remain closely tied to EU membership and cooperation.
Fico’s interpretation of international developments, including references to shifting transatlantic priorities, is also treated with caution in the analysis. Such arguments, Schäffer suggests, often rely on selective readings of complex geopolitical processes and are primarily designed to reinforce domestic narratives rather than inform policy debate at the European level.
As debates over the future direction of the European Union intensify, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe, the distinction between internal political signalling and genuine strategic critique remains essential for understanding current dynamics within the EU.
Read the article here.
Péter Techet for Die Presse on the Beneš Decrees
In Slovakia, criticism of the Beneš Decrees has been criminalized. These decrees concern the measures by which members of the German and Hungarian minorities were expropriated after the Second World War. Although they formally remain in force, both Prague and Bratislava have assured that they are no longer applied. Nevertheless, in Slovakia, properties owned by people of Hungarian descent continue to be confiscated on the basis of these decrees. This practice is criticized both by the left-liberal party Progressive Slovakia and by the party representing the Hungarian minority.
In his op-ed for Die Presse, Péter Techet described the current debates surrounding the decrees as well as possible reasons why Viktor Orbán refrains from criticizing the Slovak government.
The article can be read here.
Malwina Talik completed CEU DILA programme
Malwina Talik took part in the final intensive residential session of the Democratic Institute Leadership Academy (DILA) at Central European University in Budapest. The programme focused on democratic leadership, strategies for strengthening democratic resilience in Hungary, Slovakia, Czechia, Croatia, and Poland, democratic innovation and participation, and communication-related challenges in the region.
Workshop about ‘Undoing the Illiberal Damage: A Democratic Guide to Reversing Democratic Backsliding’ at the IDM with experts from Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Austria
Hungary since 2010, Poland between 2015 and 2023, and Slovakia since 2023 have experienced, or are experiencing, democratic backsliding. A project at the Institute for Danube Region and Central Europe, funded by the Felczak Institute for Polish-Hungarian Studies, examines, through the examples of Poland, Hungary, and Slovakia, what an illiberal system means for the rule of law, the media, culture and academia, and corruption – and how liberal democracy in these areas can be strengthened following a change of government.
Malwina Talik and Dr Péter Techet authored a policy paper on the central questions of the project and the possible pathways in Poland and Hungary, which provided the foundation for a subsequent workshop on the subject.
Topics and outcomes of the workshop
As part of this project, an international workshop was held at the IDM on 18–19 November, bringing together experts from Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Austria. The workshop comprised four panels, focusing on the rule of law, the media, identity politics, and corruption. The emphasis was not on a purely academic analysis, but on sharing practical experiences and exploring options and strategies to reverse illiberal trends.
Firstly, experts from each country outlined how illiberal systems were established as well as how illiberal damage – particularly in Poland after 2023 – might be undone. This was followed by discussions on the causes of illiberalism and potential routes back to liberal democracy. Across all panels, a key focus was what Poland has achieved since 2023 in dismantling illiberal structures and policies, and whether these experiences could be applied to Hungary after 2026 or Slovakia after 2027, should there be a change of government. The presentations and discussions revealed how far illiberalism has advanced in each country, depending on whether governments were able to amend the constitution, and on the priorities they pursued.
A common thread across all three cases is that illiberalism emerges in polarised societies, where populist rhetoric and antagonistic ‘us’ versus ‘them’ narratives weaken social consensus around liberal democracy, turning domestic politics into a struggle between liberal and illiberal visions of democracy, each using constitutional mechanisms to different ends. Another shared feature in all illiberal democracies is the weakening of constitutional oversight, civil society, and pluralism, including attacks on dissenting voices and on both public and private media. In terms of corruption, however, there are notable differences: in Poland, corruption is largely individual; in Slovakia, it is tolerated and facilitated by state actors; and in Hungary, it has evolved into a centralised, state-run ‘mafia’ structure.
The restoration of liberal democracy in all three countries depends on the ability to reform the constitution and legal framework, which is a particularly difficult task in Hungary, where the illiberal regime has maintained a constitution-amending (two-third) majority almost continuously since 2010. More broadly, a sustainable return to liberal democracy requires social consensus, potentially achieved through compromise between political ‘camps’.
Building on the workshop’s insights and further research, Malwina Talik and Dr Péter Techet are preparing a report, by the end of the year, on the successes and strategies for undoing illiberal damage.
(Dr Péter Techet)
Péter Techet for Die Presse on the midterm of the Fico Government
On November 17, Slovakia commemorates the anti-communist revolution of 1989 – but as of this year, the day is no longer an official holiday. The Fico government abolished it for (allegedly) economic reasons. Nevertheless, tens of thousands of people across the country took to the streets this year as well, protesting against the government that has been in office since autumn 2023.
In his article for the Austrian daily Die Presse, Péter Techet analyzes the Slovak government’s policies so far, as well as the prospects of the fragmented opposition.
The article can be read here.
Péter Techet for Denník N on a new alliance between Prague, Bratislava, and Budapest
The Slovak daily newspaper Denník N asked Péter Techet about the possibility and the reasons for an anti-Ukrainian alliance between Prague, Bratislava, and Budapest.
The article can be read here: https://dennikn.sk/4939485/orban-chce-s-ficom-a-babisom-vytvorit-blok-proti-ukrajine-nebude-to-fungovat-hovori-dzurinda-aj-duleba
Péter Techet for STVR Pátria Rádió about Friedrich Merz’s criticism of migration
On the occasion of the critical remarks made by the German Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, claiming that the appearance of German cities had changed, Péter Techet analyzed the right-wing shift in the rhetoric of the CDU/CSU on the Hungarian-language program of Slovak Radio.
The interview can be listened to here: https://patria24.stvr.sk/2025/10/23/a-nemet-kancellar-szerint-a-migracio-megvaltoztatta-a-nemet-varoskepet-es-a-nok-nem-erzik-magukat-biztonsagban/
Péter Techet for STVR Pátria Rádió on Merkel’s Refugee Policy
In the Hungarian-language program of Slovak Radio STVR, Péter Techet spoke about the reasons for and the consequences of the refugee policy that Angela Merkel implemented 10 years ago – also in contrast to the policy of Viktor Orbán.
The interview can be listened to here: https://patria24.stvr.sk/2025/09/30/naiv-volt-e-merkel-tizeves-a-menekultvalsag/
Where to find us
