Slovak President Peter Pellegrini used his first address to the National Council on Wednesday to deliver a strong message in support of Slovakia’s Western alignment, warning lawmakers not to allow domestic division to weaken the country’s longstanding commitment to the European Union and NATO.
“The West is not only one of the four cardinal points, but also the most important party for Slovak interests,” Pellegrini declared from the parliamentary chamber.
He stressed that Slovakia’s prosperity and security are deeply tied to its Western partners, stating that “89 percent of all investments come to Slovakia from the European Union, and 78 percent of all Slovak exports go to EU member states.
“The European Union is our economic, foreign policy, values, and increasingly, security area, which we must not leave under any circumstances!” he added.
Pellegrini, who took office in June last year, positioned himself as a non-partisan figure seeking to unite the country beyond political rivalry. “I was elected president with the second-strongest mandate in the history of the Slovak Republic,” he said. “Therefore, my primary task will be to represent the interests of the people, not politicians or political parties.”
He pledged that the presidential palace would not become “another coalition partner, nor a nest of opposition resistance,” but would instead serve as a place to “create a long-term vision of Slovakia… available to experts across the political spectrum.”
The president warned that Slovak society is suffering from deep emotional and political fatigue. “Uncertainty, disappointment, frustration, anger, fear, and sometimes despair prevail among people today as dominant feelings,” he said. “And that is because instead of solving real problems, politicians offer substitute and irrelevant topics — topics that arouse emotions, bring anger, intolerance, and often outright hatred into politics.”
Turning to current government policy, Pellegrini criticized the proposed blanket amnesty for Covid-19 pandemic-related rule-breakers, calling it “a dangerous experiment” that risked undermining the rule of law and the credibility of future public health measures. “The state must not send a signal that there is no need to comply with measures and that it is ready to compensate all offenders at any time,” he said. “Please make your final decision so that you can always look the bereaved of thousands of victims of the pandemic straight in the eye.”
He acknowledged the achievements of the current government, including record-low unemployment and infrastructure improvements, but warned that Slovakia still lacked a shared, coherent vision for the future. “Slovakia has drawers full of concepts, visions, or strategies — more than 150 documents — that are not connected in any way,” he said. “If we continue this trend of governing for one term, we will get nowhere.”
Pellegrini also returned to the political consequences of last year’s attempted assassination of Prime Minister Robert Fico. “I sincerely believed — and I was certainly not alone — that last year’s unprecedented assassination would shake the Slovak political scene. But the situation in society is even worse and even more dangerous,” he said.
His remarks echo the sentiment shared by Fico himself earlier this month, who told the Slovak public broadcaster, “I thought that this event would calm down society a little, but it’s even worse than before the assassination attempt.”
NEW:
“I’m even more afraid now than I was before.”
A year ago today, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was the subject of an assassination attempt by an opposition activist.
Here, he speaks candidly about the incident.
pic.twitter.com/X1ssj9oWGz
— Remix News & Views (@RMXnews) May 15, 2025
The Slovak president called on politicians and citizens alike to reject hate and embrace reconciliation. “Let’s not look down on others for any reason… not for their political views, race, creed, or orientation. Politics must not divide the family at the common table,” he said.
In a personal moment, Pellegrini recalled his conversations with Pope Francis, describing him as “a modest, humane, and incredibly good person,” and cited the Pope’s final message to the Slovak people: “Sometimes we don’t look down on others — only when we are bending down to help them.”
The president concluded with a direct appeal to lawmakers: “Before every decision you make here in parliament or during a government meeting, ask yourself whether your decision will lead to a better, calmer, safer, and healthier life for people in Slovakia.”
He ended on a hopeful note. “Let’s not look back anymore. This will not help us in any way. Today is the time when we must look forward together and act in such a way that a better future draws nearer and not further away.”
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