Milan Uhrík, head of the far-right Republika, on a billboard in June 2023. (source: SME - Jozef Jakubčo)
Milan Uhrík, leader of the far-right party Republika, last week revealed his plan to hold an anti-NATO referendum. What the politician has never mentioned is that he once was a believer in pro-Western values.
In 2010, when he was in his mid-twenties, Uhrík belonged to the youth group Nová Generácia (New Generation), the Aktuality.sk news website reports. The group was affiliated with the SDKÚ political party, a pro-Western party financed from abroad.
Wrong move, wrong girlfriend
Uhrík himself confirmed the information on the website, which does not appear on MEP Uhrík’s resume.
“Yes, I attended a few (two or three) NG meetings until I realised that I absolutely did not belong there,” he told the website. He added that this bad experience helped him to open his eyes. “Kind of like when a young boy chooses the wrong girlfriend or joins the wrong club to find out what he doesn’t want to do,” the politician said.
Uhrík was a member for at least three years, from 2010 to 2012. At that time, the party was headed by pro-Western former PM Mikuláš Dzurinda. While Dzurinda is now attempting to return to politics with a new party, Uhrík’s far-right party will likely make it to parliament.
Information about Milan Uhrík on Nová Generácia's Facebook page. (source: Aktuality.sk)
Dzurinda unaware of Uhrík’s past
Established in 2020, Nová Generácia was funded by various organisations such as Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung and Hanns Seidel Stiftung.
Uhrík declined to comment on whether he was an SDKÚ member as well.
Dzurinda had no idea that Uhrík belonged to the youth organisation.
“I have no idea what views this gentleman had all those years ago. But people change. And not always for the better,” he told the website.
