On Tuesday, September 22nd, interior ministers from the European Union will meet to discuss the issue of quotas to divide up some 120,000 migrants between member states, ahead of a summit of heads of state and government on Wednesday. Along with Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic, Slovakia, a small country with just 5 million inhabitants, has so far rejected any quotas imposed by Brussels – a position that was reiterated on Monday. As a result France and Germany have threatened to cut off some EU structural funds from this so-called Visegrad Group of four nations. In the Slovak capital, Bratislava, the country's prime minister Robert Fico, a social-democrat with nationalistic tendencies, is vehemently opposed to any such quotas. “If a mechanism for automatic redistribution of migrants is adopted, then we will wake up one day and have 100,000 people from the Arab world and that is a problem I would not like Slovakia to have,” he told a press conference in late August. Six months before Parliamentary elections, his government is playing the nationalist card against refugees, who stand accused of being potential terrorists and of threatening to undermine Slovak national identity. Fico himself has said his country is only willing to accept “Christian refugees”.
Most politicians in Slovakia have adopted the same hard line against migrants. The republic's president, Andrej Kiska, is one of the rare voices of moderation. Below is his interview with Mediapart.
Enlargement : Illustration 1
Mediapart: Yesterday [Thursday September 17th] for the first time you met refugees who are currently in Slovakia, amid complaints from many NGO’s and organizations over the hard stance of Mr Fico’s government against refugees, and over the lack of compassion in the country. You also had a meeting with representatives of 'Plea for humanity'. Why did you decide to organize such meetings?
Andrej Kiska: Let´s sincerely admit we were all taken by surprise about this sudden influx of refugees to Europe. Slovaks are no less compassionate about people that suffer that anyone else. At the same time we have to overcome our natural human fear of the unknown. Political leaders, media, civil society play a crucial role in this. It is important to encourage discussion, and separate facts from myths. I am sure my country is capable of showing the necessary solidarity with our partners in the European Union. Voluntarily and probably even exceeding formal expectations. We are capable of doing more for refugees, even if they are not seeking Slovakia as a country of their destination.
Mediapart: Mr Fico’s government is using very tough rhetoric about refugees, but also Islam and immigration. Along with Hungary's prime minister Viktor Orban, he may be the most hardline head of government in Europe on the topic. Do you agree with these words that are being used by the prime minister and some members of the government, who compare, for instance, refugees to would-be terrorists and who deny the right to Islam to be part of Slovakian identity?
A.K.: As I said recently in my speech, public discussion about refugee crises and the next steps we are willing to make in addressing this issue is also a battle for the heart and soul of my country. And not only my country — as we see, the situation is very heated and emotional in many countries around us. It is a question of what kind of society we want to be and what we are willing to do for it. We have to make a clear distinction between fearing the unknown and unconcealed hatred, even extremism. We have to refuse expressions of intolerance and contempt for human life.
Mediapart: You put your signature to the 'Plea for humanity'. Why? And how can you explain that so few politicians in Slovakia resist the temptation to make political capital out of this topic? I do not mean it is not the same in other European countries, but maybe not with such a large consensus?
A.K.: Technically, I did not sign it. This was spontaneous civic activity and I strongly and publicly supported it. It was important to express my gratitude and to compliment all those who said that Slovakia can help. This applies to all who did so spontaneously, at their own discretion and without political support. There are many people in Slovakia willing to help and - in fact - are providing humanitarian assistance to refugees in nearby Austria and Hungary as private individuals using their own resources.
Regarding your question about the course of current political discussion in Slovakia - I’m not going to put myself here in the position of some sort of political analyst. My responsibility as President of the Slovak Republic is to alert politicians when I feel we took the wrong turn in our internal discussion or in negotiations with our partners and friends in the EU. And in this case of the refugee crisis we need to abandon the route marked by the lack of solidarity and the excess of accusations about who is to blame. We have to abandon this route before we go too far. We, the EU, have a long and difficult task ahead of us. Without mutual trust and cooperation we cannot succeed.
Mediapart: Why are so many Slovaks (and there are of course exceptions) apparently so wary about everything to do with immigration, Islam and refugees?
As I said, for most people it is a case of fear of the unknown. The refugees and migrants did not seek Slovakia as a country of their destination, they were not arriving here and they did not transit through our country to travel further. And even in this crisis we are not facing the same pressure as, for example, some of our neighbours such as Hungary or Austria.
Mediapart: Mr Fico and his interior minister have agreed to accept some refugees but only if they are Christians. Would you agree with that distinction? Should Slovakia accept the so-called 'quotas' in Europe? Can it take the risk of getting sanctioned by the European Union?
A.K.: I am confident that European leaders understand that accepting several thousands of refugees, whether they are Christians, Muslims or something else, by central European countries, including Slovakia, does not constitute any ground-breaking contribution to alleviating the current situation. But I do consider it unsustainable for us to be unprepared and unable to understand our partners calling for joint solidarity among all countries of the European Union. Or that we would not express such preparedness in a clearer voice than until now.
Mediapart: Do not you think the image of Slovakia, which is a country with a liberal tradition and democratic principles, could be, or is already, damaged by the current behavior and rhetoric of the government?
A.K.: Slovakia — just like every other country in the European Union — needs European consensus. It is in our interest, it is in everyone’s interest. Our long term strategic goal is to remain in the core of European integration. I hope and I believe Slovakia is perfectly capable of maintaining its reputation as a self-confident but reliable and responsible partner. Especially in a situation where all important political parties in Slovakia agree with most of the steps on how to face the refugee crises proposed by the European Commission and others.
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- This interview was conducted by email in English on Friday September 18th, 2015. The French version can be found here.