“I consider the political division of the country into two irreconcilable camps to be one of the greatest and most dangerous problems facing Slovakia today.”
In his State of the Republic address, President Peter Pellegrini called for political cohesion in tackling Slovakia’s long-standing problems. He criticised political infighting and highlighted the impact of fiscal consolidation measures, which he said had reduced living standards for many people.
“Consolidation entails austerity measures and spending cuts — a reality that simply cannot be avoided. Nevertheless, questions remain as to whether this particular form of consolidation was the best choice and whether the combination of government measures has actually achieved the desired result.”
Pellegrini also stressed Slovakia’s firm anchoring in the European Union and NATO, describing them as the country’s civilizational, economic and security space.
The opposition argues that the President should act as the head of state rather than as a spokesperson for the governing coalition. SaS leader Branislav Gröhling called it the weakest presidential speech he had heard: “If he didn't intend to say something significant, he shouldn't have spoken at all. To me, it came across as helping Fico — essentially a plea: ‘Please, do not criticise Fico's government.’”
Coalition Smer-SD parliamentary leader Ján Richter described the speech as balanced. “Consolidation itself — and the selection of specific measures — always involves venturing into somewhat unknown territory. Although it is based on certain assumptions, and some aspects can be fully endorsed, getting other elements right is a matter of trial and error,” concluded Richter.
Opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) leader Michal Šimečka also argued that the president had failed to act as an impartial head of state. Peter Kalivoda of the coalition Hlas-SD party, by contrast, said the speech was impartial. Igor Matovič, leader of the opposition Slovensko movement, was far more critical: “His actions — serving the mafia for 19 years — speak for themselves. He is rotten fruit in an empty suit, characterised by evil deeds but smooth talk.”
SNS parliamentary leader Roman Michelko also reacted to the speech: “He spoke about new technologies, data centres and energy security. These were all positive things. However, I fear that, given the extreme polarisation of society, this message might not find a receptive audience.”
Political scientist Michal Cirner of the University of Prešov noted that, while Pellegrini directed some criticism at the governing coalition in last year’s address, the sharpest criticism in this year’s speech was aimed at the opposition. “When criticising the opposition, he focused more on its methods — such as the refusal to cooperate or the rejection of certain measures. His tone was more categorical. As for the governing coalition, he tended to defend its actions or explain the reasons behind them — for instance, why it had to resort to fiscal consolidation,” stated Cirner
Political scientist Samuel Spáč of Comenius University in Bratislava says the President is trying to portray politics as a realm without conflict — an approach that, in his view, does not always reflect reality. “For instance, when he called on the European Union to resolve the conflict in Ukraine through diplomatic means but failed to mention Russia — the party that unleashed the war — it was simply at odds with reality. In my opinion, this is something Peter Pellegrini frequently does in his speeches,” concludes Spáč
Source: STVR
