Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has spoken openly about the future of Hungarian-Slovak relations during his Moscow visit, expressing hopes for stronger ties with Hungary’s newly inaugurated Prime Minister, Magyar Péter.
Fico speaks candidly about Magyar Péter for the first time
Robert Fico travelled to Moscow to attend Victory Day celebrations, where he also addressed journalists on the subject of growing Hungarian-Slovak cooperation. The Slovak premier stressed his commitment to maintaining stable Hungarian-Slovak relations, even under Budapest’s new political leadership.
Fico stated: “I want us to have good neighbourly relations with our neighbours.”
The Slovak prime minister also revealed that his first in-person meeting with Magyar Péter is expected to take place in Brussels. Though the two leaders have yet to meet face to face, they have already spoken by telephone to discuss the future of bilateral ties.
Fico invoked a Slovak proverb to underline how seriously he regards cooperation:
“We have a saying that a bad neighbour is worse than a house on fire.”
The Slovak leader added that his primary goal is to ensure Hungarian-Slovak relations remain at least at the level they were under Viktor Orbán. For more on how the Slovak prime minister previously responded to the ban on Russian gas imports, read our earlier report here.
Magyar Péter sets firm conditions
Behind the conciliatory public tone, however, significant disagreements remain. Magyar Péter has made clear he will only engage in substantive policy discussions if he receives guarantees regarding the resolution of issues affecting ethnic Hungarians in Slovakia.
The most contentious issue continues to be the Beneš Decrees. The leader of the Tisza Party is demanding that Bratislava halt land confiscations made on the basis of those decrees, according to SzeretlekMagyarország.
Fico, however, has left no room for compromise on this point. The Slovak prime minister has declared the Beneš Decrees an “untouchable” part of Slovak law, meaning a fundamental disagreement between the two leaders on this question looks set to persist.
Serious allegations cast a shadow over Hungarian-Slovak relations
Historical disputes are not the only source of tension. Fico has also indicated he expects Magyar Péter to account for a particularly grave allegation.
Magyar Péter has claimed that, ahead of the 2023 Slovak elections, the Orbán government may have deliberately assisted Fico by transporting migrants to the Hungarian-Slovak border region. Fico has since firmly denied the accusation.
The matter is especially sensitive, given that migration has been a defining issue in the domestic politics of both countries in recent years. Analysts suggest these disputes could shape the trajectory of Hungarian-Slovak relations for years to come.
Revival of the Visegrád Group
In recent days, the Slovak prime minister has also signalled his intention to reactivate the Visegrád Group. In a social media post, he shared a photograph alongside Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, writing: “Three musketeers waiting for the fourth and the rebirth of the V4.”
The remark was widely interpreted as a pointed reference to Magyar Péter. Fico has argued that strong regional cooperation and reliable Hungarian-Slovak relations are indispensable to the stability of Central Europe.
Péter Magyar’s stark warning to Robert Fico: this is essential for good Hungarian-Slovak relations
Europe reacts with fury to Fico’s Moscow trip
Fico’s visit to Moscow has, meanwhile, provoked sharp international condemnation. Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia all refused to grant his aircraft permission to pass through their airspace.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna described the Victory Day celebrations as “glorifying the aggressor.”
As Europe rounds on Fico’s Moscow trip, the contours of a new political era are already beginning to take shape. Whether the first Brussels encounter between Magyar Péter and Robert Fico genuinely places Hungarian-Slovak relations on new foundations remains to be seen.
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