In the photo, President Peter Pellegrini (second from left), opposition KDH leader Milan Majerský (right), Hlas leader and Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok (third from right), Smer leader and Prime Minister Robert Fico (left), and Slovak National Party leader and Deputy Speaker of Parliament Andrej Danko (second from right) greet each other after a round-table meeting on Slovakia’s foreign policy orientation, organised by the president at the Presidential Palace in Bratislava on Tuesday, February 4, 2025. (source: TASR - Martin Baumann)
President Peter Pellegrini’s attempt to bring party leaders together for a discussion on Slovakia’s foreign policy fell short on Tuesday, February 4, as key opposition figures declined his invitation.
Of the seven party leaders in parliament, only four turned up, and one refused to join the joint media statement after the meeting.
The president had invited the leaders of Smer, Hlas – the party he once led (albeit he is alleged to have a strong influence in the party) – and the far-right Slovak National Party (SNS), along with the heads of the opposition parties Progressive Slovakia (PS), Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) and the Christian Democrats (KDH). The only party leader explicitly left off the guest list was former prime minister Igor Matovič of the Slovensko party.
However, PS leader Michal Šimečka and SaS chair Branislav Gröhling refused to attend.
That left Pellegrini sitting down with Robert Fico (Smer), Andrej Danko (SNS), Matúš Šutaj Eštok (Hlas) and KDH leader Milan Majerský. Šimečka and Gröhling faced criticism for their absence not just from the president but also from Majerský.
Pellegrini dismissed their no-show as a sign of “great immaturity”. Prime Minister Fico accused the two of dodging the meeting so they could continue pushing what he called “lies” about the government’s intentions towards the EU. Majerský, while criticising Pellegrini for failing to invite Matovič, agreed that Šimečka and Gröhling “should have been there”.
“Every meeting that contributes to stability in Slovakia has a purpose. Not only should they have been here, but I firmly believe a representative from Slovensko should have been here too,” Majerský said.
