Czechia, Slovakia bicker over bilateral 'restart'

Diplomatic relations between Prague and Bratislava face turbulence after Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala (ODS, ECR) said the resumption of intergovernmental consultations with Slovakia “is not currently a topic”, with the Slovaks calling the statement disrespectful ahead of a state visit.

According to Fiala, considerations to re-establish consultations are premature also because of the health condition of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer, S&D), who is recovering from an assassination attempt in mid-May.

This comes amid a high-profile meeting between Czech President Petr Pavel and his Slovak counterpart Peter Pellegrini in Prague on Wednesday (26 June).

“We do not consider such a statement by Prime Minister Fiala, on the eve of the first official visit of the newly elected Slovak President Peter Pellegrini to the Czech Republic, to be respectful or conducive to our good neighbourly relations,” Bratislava declared in an official statement.

Czech government spokesperson Lucie Ješátková explained that Fiala’s statement was not meant to be disrespectful.

“It was an expression of respect for the situation when Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is recovering, and therefore, it is not possible to discuss intergovernmental consultations for objective reasons,” Ješátková told Czech News Agency.

The roots of the tension date back to March 2024, when the Czech government suspended intergovernmental consultations due to disagreements on key foreign policy issues, notably the Russian war in Ukraine.

The Slovak government led by Robert Fico halted military aid to Ukraine, contrasting sharply with the Czech stance.

Fico has previously asserted that the Western strategy on Ukraine has failed and that Russia cannot be defeated conventionally.

Bratislava has maintained that its position on the war in Ukraine “cannot be an obstacle to the development of Czech-Slovak relations.”

Adding to the tension, Slovakia’s government criticised Czech police for not prosecuting individuals who expressed approval of the assassination attempt on Fico.

Smer MP Tibor Gašpar voiced “disappointment” over the lack of action on an online comment by a Czech citizen, which read, “That pig should have been shot.”

The Slovak government stressed their concern that the Czech police viewed such gross comments as free speech, contrasting it with their response to criticism against Ukrainians.

“In Slovakia, we are now witnessing binding verdicts where such people, who spread hatred and supported assassination or wished murder upon someone, are now sentenced to unconditional imprisonment,” President Pellegrini noted during his visit to Prague.

The Czech Police Presidium responded, stating, “As a rule, we do not comment on political statements, and we will not make an exception here either,” emphasising that “it is unthinkable that we would deviate.”

Czech Interior Minister Vít Rakušan (STAN, EPP) also defended the police, emphasising their apolitical stance.

“When investigating and prosecuting any crime, they measure everyone by the same yardstick and are not guided by anything other than the applicable laws. It is strictly apolitical in its work. I consider criticism of its work by some Slovak politicians to be inappropriate,” he said.

“This is also because police cooperation between the Czech Republic and Slovakia works perfectly,” Rakušan stated.

(Aneta Zachová | Euractiv.cz, Natália Silenská | Euractiv.sk)