SZwanglos – Following Feed

Pinned: INTERNATIONAL TALKS ON THE STRAIT OF HORMUZ AND ENERGY SECURITY Today, I participated via videoconference in a summit of leaders in Paris focused on an international plan to ensure the freedom and security of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. We find ourselves in an unusual situation, where a strait that is already being obstructed is now facing further attempts at blockage by another country, alongside an apparent effort to privatize this strait whether through total control or by imposing transit fees. On behalf of the Government of the Slovak Republic, I expressed a clear position that the only way to resolve this crisis is through strict adherence to international law. In practice, this means ensuring free and safe navigation through the strait. Although Slovakia is a landlocked country, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz, combined with the disruption of oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline, has a significantly negative impact on Slovakia’s energy security. I also offered our capacities in demining operations along the coast of the Strait of Hormuz, should they be necessary naturally in accordance with the Constitution of the Slovak Republic governing the deployment of our armed forces abroad as well as our expertise related to water management, all to be applied after the end of the military conflict in the region.

Pinned: STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER OF THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC, Robert Fico With full respect, I acknowledge the decision of the citizens of Hungary in yesterday’s parliamentary elections, and I am ready for intensive cooperation with the new Hungarian Prime Minister, whom I congratulate on the election result. The goals of the Government of Slovakia remain unchanged. 1.We are committed to friendly and mutually beneficial relations with Hungary, as well as to ensuring an above-standard position for national minorities living in our countries. 2.The Slovak Government supports the revival of the Visegrád Group format. 3.A joint approach with Hungary in protecting our energy interests. I believe there remains a strong interest on the part of Slovakia, Hungary, and Central Europe as a whole in restoring the operation of the Druzhba oil pipeline.

Pinned: ON THE HUNGARIAN PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS I will be following the elections in Hungary from Vietnam during my short official visit. Together with Prime Minister @PM_ViktorOrban, we invest a great deal of energy into fostering high-quality friendly relations between our countries and ensuring an above-standard position for national minorities. I wish Viktor Orbán that all his political goals are fulfilled in the parliamentary elections. During my long political career, I have never encountered such a strong advocate for sovereignty and the national interests of his own country as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Pinned: WHAT DIDN’T MAKE IT INTO THE PRESS CONFERENCE (Part LII). The collapse of the world order, a massive oil crisis, wars on every corner. This should be leading to the unification of national and sovereign forces in Slovakia to coming together in defense of Slovak national interests. What do we see instead? The opposition is doing its own thing according to them, their main task is to cause harm. They have launched a quiet civil conflict against the government and wish nothing but the worst for Slovakia, because otherwise they cannot defeat us politically. Dear friends in the governing coalition, we are on our own. I am ready 24 hours a day to stand up for Slovakia’s interests in a turbulent world.

Pinned: The European Commission is attacking Slovakia's key interests and, in coordination with Zelenskyy, is incomprehensibly endangering the energy security of the continent.

Pinned: We are trying to open Brussels’ eyes so it can see how Zelensky is harming Europe.

Pinned: On behalf of Slovakia, I refused to approve the conclusions of today’s summit, which fully support Ukraine.

Pinned: SLOVAKIA WILL NOT BE BLACKMAILED THROUGH ENERGY In light of the current events in the Middle East, it should now be clear to everyone that the struggle of the Slovak government to secure safe supplies of oil and gas is the main task of the day. It is also clearer than ever that the future of Slovakia’s energy sector must be closely linked to the development of nuclear energy, in which Slovakia ranks among the most significant players. I am proud that Slovaks were able to clearly see into the future and did not succumb to pressure to phase out nuclear energy. On the contrary, we rejected utopian ideas and worked on further projects. We are not resting on our laurels and we are moving forward. Only in this way can we secure Slovakia’s strategic needs for the coming decades.

Pinned: PRIME MINISTER OF THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC ROBERT FICO HELD TALKS ON ASSISTANCE FOR SLOVAK CITIZENS WITH THE UAE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ABDULLAH BIN ZAYED AL NAHYAN Today, on Sunday, 8 March 2026, at the Office of the Government of the Slovak Republic in Bratislava, the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic, Robert Fico, met with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The main topic of the meeting was the current situation in the Middle East and assistance for Slovak citizens who are also located in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic thanked the United Arab Emirates for their assistance so far in organizing the evacuation of our citizens from the region. “I welcomed the openness of the United Arab Emirates in ensuring the evacuation of Slovak citizens through UAE aircraft, with the possibility of direct flights between Bratislava and Dubai,” said Robert Fico, expressing full solidarity with the United Arab Emirates, which are facing repeated missile attacks from Iran. On Tuesday, 10 March, the first Slovak flight from Bratislava to Dubai should take place, organized by the Ministries of Defence, Foreign Affairs, and Interior. Today, the 13th and 14th repatriation flights will arrive, which have so far evacuated our citizens from Jordan, Oman, and Saudi Arabia. The talks at the Office of the Government also focused on bilateral cooperation and investment projects. The Minister of Foreign Affairs expressed particular interest in cooperation in nuclear energy. Prime Minister Robert Fico appreciated the activities of the Emirates in the region, which represent an important stabilizing factor, and also pledged the cooperation of the Slovak Republic in negotiations on concluding a free trade agreement between the European Union and the countries of the Persian Gulf – the Gulf Cooperation Council. During the meeting, the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic, Robert Fico, extended an invitation for an official visit to the Slovak Republic to the President of the UAE. Also attending the meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the United Arab Emirates at the Office of the Government of the Slovak Republic were the Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic Juraj Blanár, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the Slovak Republic Robert Kaliňák, and State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Marek Eštok.

Pinned: WE HAVE NOWHERE TO TURN! If Zelensky doesn’t allow oil to flow to Europe, he is asking for the €90 billion loan to be stopped.

Pinned: It was natural to expect that retaliatory actions from Iran would follow the attack on Iran. I would like to express solidarity with all the affected countries, especially the United Arab Emirates and its President, as they actively and consistently advocate for stability and peace in the region.

Pinned: AFTER A PHONE CALL WITH UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT V. ZELENSKY In connection with the state of the oil emergency in Slovakia, I spoke today by phone with the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. I asked him for information on when, and whether at all, the transit of oil through the territory of Ukraine to Slovakia would be resumed. I argued that we have a legitimate right to such imports based on signed agreements with suppliers, as well as on the EU decision allowing the use of energy resources from Russia until the end of 2027. I informed the President that his decision to stop the transit of oil is causing us logistical difficulties and economic damage. The conversation confirmed that we have differing views on the condition of the pipeline. While our intelligence information confirms that the pipeline is not damaged and nothing prevents the transit of oil, the Ukrainian President insisted that repairing the pipeline requires a long time. For this reason, in order to avoid misunderstandings, I informed the Ukrainian President that together with the Hungarian Prime Minister V. Orbán, we are proposing the establishment of an inspection group composed of experts nominated by the European Commission and EU Member States, which would directly determine on site the actual state of technological damage to the pipeline or its ability to continue oil transit to the territory of the Slovak Republic. I reminded the Ukrainian President that the Ukrainian side has so far not allowed our ambassador in Kyiv to carry out such an inspection and that this opportunity was not given even to the Ambassador of the European Union to Ukraine. President Zelensky rejected such inspection activity, referring to a negative position of the Ukrainian intelligence services. The Ukrainian President proposed a joint meeting with the Slovak side on all aspects of Ukrainian-Slovak cooperation. I accepted this invitation and asked the Office of the Government of the Slovak Republic and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic, in cooperation with the Ukrainian side, to find a suitable date for such a meeting, while I prefer a meeting with the Ukrainian President on the territory of one of the EU Member States that the Ukrainian President frequently visits. Pro domo: From the conversation with Ukrainian President V. Zelensky, I gained a clear impression that the Ukrainian side has no interest in resuming the transit of oil through Ukrainian territory.

If Zelensky thinks that blackmailing Slovakia with oil will bring Ukraine closer to the EU, he is sadly mistaken.

FAIRNESS, FRIENDSHIP, SUPPORT 🇸🇰🤝🏻🇷🇸 Today, I had the honor of attending an event marking the Statehood Day of the Republic of Serbia. On behalf of the Slovak government, I extended my warm congratulation on this important holiday and thanked them for the friendship that unites our nations. I am convinced that there is a strong bond between Slovaks and Serbs – historical, cultural, and one of values. We are both Slavic nations and we must not forget what unites us. We have our own experiences, our own courage, our own pride. And it is precisely these values that shape us today. Slavic culture, its common sense and experience can help Europe more than anyone could imagine. Serbia has my sincere respect. I support its path to the European Union and I am convinced that if the country meets the conditions, it must be given a fair chance. Slovakia will stand by Serbia as a reliable partner and friend. Serbia deserves EU membership and is well prepared for it. The Slovak government rejects the discrimination against Serbia in its accession to the EU, which is obvious on the part of EU institutions and some member states. We also wish Serbian President A. Vučić @avucic all the best and much wisdom in getting the Serbian nation to where it belongs. To the most developed Europe. Thank you for the warm welcome and for the respect Serbia has been showing the Slovak minority. Long live the Slovak Republic. Long live Serbia. Long live freedom.

THE WORLD IS CHANGING, AND IT IS ONLY A GOOD THING THAT SLOVAKIA IS ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THESE CHANGES.

SLOVAKIA, THE CZECH REPUBLIC AND AUSTRIA TOGETHER 🤝🏻 Central Europe is the voice of reason in the EU, which is why we are jointly calling for action on energy prices as a key condition for economic growth and competitiveness.

A GREAT, LENGTHY MEETING AT THE ÉLYSÉE PALACE

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER FOR ENERGY IS MAKING A MOCKERY OF US For what he said about the EU’s dependence on imports of liquefied natural gas from the United States, he should be immediately dismissed from his position.

I STRONGLY REJECT THE LIES OF THE HATEFUL, PRO-BRUSSELS LIBERAL PORTAL POLITICO. It is a sad look at the liberal and progressive political and media world. The abuse of criminal law to destroy opponents, the rejection of different opinions, boundless media lies, and attempts to assassinate political leaders in Slovakia and the US. Only yesterday, I had to reject the lies of the new liberal pro-Brussels Hungarian star P. Magyar. Less than 24 hours later, I must emphatically reject the lies of the POLITICO portal about how I assessed my meeting with US President D. Trump at an informal summit in Brussels. No one heard anything, no one saw anything, there are no witnesses, but nothing prevented the POLITICO portal from coming up with lies. It is well known that I am one of the "favourites" of this portal, where sovereignty, the fight for national interests, and one's own opinion are considered crimes. So 1. I did not speak at the informal summit in Brussels, as any other prime ministers. For example, not a single one from the V4. I openly criticized this summit, its preparation, and its convening. At the summit, I did not speak informally with any prime minister or president about my visit to the US. 2. There was a persistent effort to foil my visit to the U.S., as was the case with my visit to Russia, where some EU member states did not even allow me to fly over their territory! That's what you call solidarity. 3. I agree with many strategies of the US president, but with some I don’t. I honestly expected that after my sharp statement on Venezuela, my visit to the US would be cancelled. This did not happen, which makes me appreciate the meeting with the U.S. president all the more. 4. POLITICO's goal is only to destroy the constructive relationships that Slovakia has with all four corners of the world. This also affects the Slovak Republic's interest in diversifying its peace nuclear program and cooperating with the US. 5. If I need to express a critical opinion, I don't need any bullhorns to do so. Perhaps the example of my proposal on the necessity of replacing K. Kallas is sufficient.

Back in Bratislava after Brussels and Paris 🛬🇸🇰

THE SAME RULE APPLIES TO THE EU AS TO A MASSAGE PARLOR: IF IT DOESN’T WORK, IT’S NOT ENOUGH TO CHANGE THE BEDS — YOU HAVE TO CHANGE THE STAFF.

LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION, URSULA VON DER LEYEN Dear President of the European Commission, The era of gross violations of international law and the collapse of the world order in which we find ourselves is a severe test of the strength and capabilities of the European Union. Unfortunately, we are not doing well in this test, and the key global players do not feel, either subjectively or objectively, the need to take our positions seriously. One of the factors affecting the European Union's ability to exert adequate influence is our competitiveness, which is alarming. The future of the European Union depends very much on whether we will dogmatically insist on insufficiently considered ambitious climate targets that destroy the strategic European industry, or whether we have the strength and courage to make meaningful reductions. Due to absurdly high electricity prices, Slovalco, jsc., held by Norwegian and Slovak owners, had to discontinue primary aluminium production in the Slovak Republic in 2023. It was one of the most modern and environmentally friendly companies, producing 10 per cent of the total primary aluminium production in the European Union. If the company were to restart, production would increase by almost 20 per cent. The available data confirm that 1.5 million tonnes of aluminium production capacity was hence shut down in Europe in a short period of time and that we are dependent on imports of almost 5 million tonnes per year of this strategic raw material. While Slovalco, jsc. produced 4 tonnes of CO2 emissions per tonne of aluminium produced, in the countries from which we import aluminium to Europe, this impact is often as high as 20 tonnes of CO2 emissions per tonne of aluminium produced. The shutting down of the company resulted in the loss of 450 direct jobs and more than 1,000 indirect jobs. These figures are absurd and inexplicable. Dear Madam President of the European Commission, at several meetings of the European Council, the European Commission was requested to submit specific proposals to reduce electricity prices for strategic sectors of the European industry. With all due respect to the work of the European Commission, I must say that I have failed to notice any such specific programme. I am convinced that we must take a radical approach to this issue. One option that I propose on behalf of the Slovak Republic is to declare a 4-5 year suspension on the application of the emissions trading mechanism. Such a decision would lead to a significant revival and boost for the strategic industrial sectors. As the issue of high electricity prices is becoming increasingly prominent in more and more EU Member States, I expect other alternatives to reducing extremely high electricity prices emerging. Madam President of the European Commission, the situation in strategic industrial sectors in individual Member States is more critical than it may appear in Brussels. EU is spending more than 380 billion EUR to support Ukraine in its conflict with the Russian Federation, with no military solution. The conflict literally dominates the agenda of the European Council and the European Commission. It is natural that the citizens EU Member States expect that the future of the European Union, which is vulnerable without a strong economy, deserves the same attention and resources. Yours sincerely, Robert Fico

PHONE CALL WITH GERMAN FEDERAL CHANCELLOR F. MERZ AFTER THE MEETING WITH THE U.S. PRESIDENT Dear friends, just a few minutes ago I finished a phone call with German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz @bundeskanzler regarding the serious international situation. Above all, I briefed him on my lengthy discussion with U.S. President D. Trump and his Secretary of State M. Rubio, which took place on Saturday evening in Florida. The President of the United States is clearly pursuing the nation state interests of the U.S. If the EU acted in the same way, we would be in a completely different position than we are now. World leaders do not take the EU fully seriously, and this can be attributed to our nonsensical climate targets and our suicidal migration policy. In this spirit, I will send an open letter to the President of the European Commission tomorrow and inform all prime ministers and heads of EU member states. I proposed several solutions to the Federal Chancellor and hope that he will soon visit Slovakia, as he promised. We have much to discuss. Several hundred German companies operate in Slovakia, and our economy given the enormous concentration of car manufacturing is particularly dependent on Germany’s economic development. Only charlatans like the younger Šimečka can claim that our economy is dragging down the entire European policy.

Lamentamos profundamente el trágico descarrilamiento de trenes en #Adamuz, Córdoba. Mis pensamientos están con las víctimas y sus familias, así como con todos los heridos, deseándoles una pronta recuperación. 🇪🇦🤝🇸🇰 @sanchezcastejon

THE TRIP TO THE UNITED STATES AND TALKS WITH PRESIDENT D. TRUMP WERE SOVEREIGN, CONFIDENT, AND EXCEPTIONALLY IMPORTANT FOR SLOVAKIA FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF ENERGY SECURITY. I understand that anti-Slovak media and the opposition are being torn apart by envy and hatred. I have promised to avoid opposition provocations and petty squabbles. I have far more important matters to attend to.

THE EU MAY BE STRONG AGAINST RUSSIA AND THE USA, BUT NOT WITH COMMISSIONER K. KALLAS, WHO IS A DISGRACEFUL FAILURE.

WELCOME, @AndrejBabis ! 🙏🍀 FINALLY THERE IS ONE MORE PERSON IN EUROPE WHO IS NOT AFRAID TO EXPRESS A DIFFERENT OPINION Governments and regimes change, but the Slovak and Czech nations remain, and they share very close relationships and interests. We hold similar views on the future of European energy policy and on the experiments with the EU’s environmental policies. We see eye to eye on the future of the Union, unless it transforms into a competitive economic space. We will not just quietly watch as the short-sighted actions of today’s European elites destroy our industry and threaten the future prosperity of the Slovak Republic and the Czech Republic. A negative example is the shutdown of aluminum production in a Slovak factory solely to comply with the insane conditions of the Green Deal, whose fatal consequences no one was able to foresee. The fundamental problem lies in energy prices, and without addressing this issue, we are incapable of devising any competitive model. If the European Commission continues to make a mockery of us and fails to do its homework, we will face a massive energy problem—especially with gas—starting in early 2028. However, the main prerequisite for the future of Slovakia and the Czech Republic is peaceful development on our continent, above all in Ukraine. We want nothing to do with prolonging the war, with the killing of people, and with the destruction of Ukraine’s economic potential. For years we have been calling for a change in approach to the peace process, from which the EU leadership has excluded itself solely through its own diplomatic incompetence and complete lack of realism. Now we can only passively watch what awaits us and what we will not be spared.

WHEN YOUR PLANE IS BROKEN, YOU HAVE TIME TO NEGOTIATE: EU SUMMIT IN FULL SWING Negotiations at the summit in Brussels are in full swing. After yesterday’s meeting with the countries of the Western Balkans, today we spent a very long time discussing such a “minor detail” as the EU budget for 2028–2034. I sarcastically remarked that I have plenty of time to negotiate, since our government plane was damaged at the airport yesterday and the repair will take quite a long time. We have our priorities in the budget, namely funds for Slovak farmers and for reducing regional disparities. In my speech, I emphasized the necessity of making compromises, otherwise, we will not move forward at all, because the old familiar problem has resurfaced between net contributors to the EU budget and net beneficiaries, among which Slovakia also belongs. Now we are heading into the final stretch — deciding on a military loan for Ukraine. You know my opinion, so keep your fingers crossed that I don’t get defenestrated for holding a sovereign, different stance.

DAMAGED AIRCRAFT AND A CONTROVERSIAL SUMMIT ON EU ENLARGEMENT, WHICH THE SERBIAN PRESIDENT A. VUČIĆ RIGHTLY DID NOT ATTEND IN PROTEST. THIS IS HOW WE STARTED TODAY IN BRUSSELS… The demanding summit in Brussels did not get off to a good start. At the airport, a vehicle with stairs damaged our aircraft to the extent that it is no longer airworthy and we have to leave it here. In a similarly skeptical mood was the evening meeting with the Western Balkan countries that are seeking EU membership. I expressed particular support for Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, who deliberately did not attend this summit in order to protest against the unfair treatment of Serbia by EU institutions. Serbia is a sovereign country and its president a sovereign politician—something that is not particularly well tolerated in the EU. Serbia is continually being presented with more and more conditions for EU accession so that its entry can be delayed as long as possible, even though Serbia is among the best-prepared countries. Double standards are a typical feature of European politics. On the one hand, the big players are pushing Ukraine into the EU, even though it is absolutely unprepared; on the other hand, Serbia is being prevented from joining the Union because it is too proud, self-confident, and sovereign. Aleksandar Vučić @avucic and the Serbian people will always have my support.

We are not progressives who would even spend our own personal savings to support the war, just to be patted on the back in Brussels.