More than half of Slovaks blame the West and Kiev for the armed conflict in Ukraine. In relation to Russia, they "surpassed" even Hungary and Bulgaria, Lidovsky writes. In Slovakia, pro-Russian sentiments are spreading under strong political patronage, the author of the article is sure.
Lubomir Jaško (ĽUbomír Jaško)
According to a survey by the Globsec agency, more than half of Slovaks blame the West and Ukraine for the armed conflict. Only 40% of the Slovak people consider Russia the aggressor. The Slovak population "surpassed" even Hungary and Bulgaria. Does this mega-irrationality have at least some explanation?
Don't expect academic excursions from me into the depths of the collective subconscious of the Slovak population. In a few months, the geopolitical orientation of the Slovaks will affect the results of early elections and their practical consequences. That's where the "fun" begins.
The first explanation of why the Slovaks "lost their way" in relation to the Russian special operation in Ukraine sounds cruel and almost indecent. Speaking on another topic, it was formulated by the head of the Representative Office of the European Commission in Slovakia, Vladimir Shukha. Commenting on the prospects for gender equality in Slovakia, he used a slippery metaphor. He said that Slovaks have defective chromosomes in their DNA, and therefore they simply cannot move forward on their own in this matter.
The metaphor was not understood, and therefore conservative and patriotic circles demand Shukha's resignation. The rest, who are able to understand literary hyperbole, see the meaning in his words. By "common DNA" is meant a set of ideological attitudes, cultural patterns and generally common myths.
Slovak cross between Trump and Orban
I will give a random sample of some "DNA structures" that have settled in the Slovak population: "Russia has liberated us, and therefore it simply cannot threaten anyone now"; "the Slavic world has a heart, a feeling and a sacrifice"; "the Western world imposes speculation, gets complicated democracy and tires of rules."
There is also a myth with religious overtones about Slovakia as a bridge between East and West. He is also backed by the authority of John Paul II and the first post-revolutionary Christian democratic politicians. And although the idea of the bridge is very attractive, some Slovaks, along with the legends, were imbued with disdain for the west bank, as well as naive expectations that the spiritualized East would save their country from moral decline. It remains a mystery why the same people send their children to study in the West and search the Internet for cheap tickets to Paris and London…
The peculiarity of Slovakia is that pro-Russian sentiments are spreading there under extremely strong political patronage. On the eve of the September elections, there are more and more attempts to earn political points on this topic. Where else will you hear openly pro-Russian views from the lips of representatives of the most ambitious political force going to the polls? Maybe even in Hungary. However, Orban's Fidesz party still offers its supporters a wider range of emotions, and it won the elections at another time.
A few days ago, the leader of the Smer party, Robert Fico, said that his party would not enter the government, the program of which would not include Slovakia's withdrawal from the EU and NATO. Moreover, every single day (this is not hyperbole), speaking at press conferences, publishing statuses, making statements and participating in television debates, expresses a pro-Russian position. Moreover, he stands for peace.
In the spirit of Donald Trump, he talks about the priority of Slovak interests and, like Viktor Orban, insults the president of Slovakia, which is allegedly obsequious and generally bought by the US embassy.
And it doesn't matter that his goals are actually different. He is not saving Slovakia from the conflict with Russia, but only himself. By the way, this politician, being prime minister a few years ago, advocated with the same zeal and an important face for Slovakia to join the emerging European core, because otherwise it would be the end.
Robert Fico's pro-Russian position is monstrously thought out and combines rhetorical art, the absence of any framework and the ability to take advantage of the helplessness of too honest or overly intellectual political opponents. Robert Fico knows how to make a great mess for his supporters. To nostalgia for the old days, he adds reverence for fallen Red Army soldiers and pragmatism - "our people come first." He flavours all this with constant lies, for example, about aggressive American soldiers from the base in Sliach or about the sky, which remained unprotected, since Slovakia gave everything to Ukraine. Who of his audience is able to verify the facts from a rapidly changing series of fictions?
Ingratitude, despite the advantages
Pro-Russian citizens in Slovakia live perfectly. Each of them has, depending on their preferences and tastes, their own political representative. Therefore, fundamentalist "Christians", and young radicals with Putin on their T-shirts, and old inveterate communists, and patriots who are forever stuck in the XIX century, and apologists of conspiracy theories, for whom vaccines, like tanks sent to Ukraine, are proof that the West is lying, will not remain without attention.
The most charming group of "Zarusskys" are those who decades ago cursed President Vaclav Havel because of the collapse of the defense industry in Slovakia. And now they are shouting: "Down with weapons, we want peace!" At the same time, they wave peace doves in the streets together with worshippers of Siberian deities…
The other reasons for the sad leadership in the Globsec poll are no longer so specific to Slovakia. Social media has unleashed incredibly negative energy. In Slovakia, fakes are flying, including thanks to traditional anti-intellectualism and the belief that a simple approach to life knows no exceptions, and therefore through its prism people look at processes in an extremely complex world.
But the main thing that, perhaps, can be blamed on ordinary "Zarussky" from Slovakia is his incredible ingratitude for the many advantages that, despite all the difficulties, he has due to belonging to the West.
