Slovakia’s SaS: Orbán is preparing for the mental colonisation of Slovakia

The Slovak liberal party SaS (Freedom and Solidarity) has asked the Slovak Foreign Ministry to summon the Hungarian Ambassador to Slovakia to explain the recent statements made by Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó and State Secretary Tamás Menczer, Napunk.sk reports.

At his party's press conference on Wednesday, SaS MP Juraj Droba said that he believes the independence of the police and the rule of law "probably don't mean much" to Viktor Orbán's regime. Slovakia, however, does not want to go down that road, he said. "The attempt to influence the elections in Slovakia is obvious and we find it unacceptable," he said. SaS politician Juraj Krúpa called on the Hungarian government not to interfere in Slovakia's internal affairs. According to SaS, Fidesz is trying to build a bridgehead for the Russians in the European Union.

Former vice-president of the Most-Híd party, Ábel Ravasz who is running in the elections for SaS, told the press conference that although Viktor Orbán had previously represented the interests of Hungarian political forces in Slovakia, he was now acting in the interests of Robert Fico's Smer party.

"Orbán is on a crusade against liberalism and is preparing for the mental colonisation of Slovakia, he wants to mould the country in his own image," Ravasz said, and condemned the statements made by Péter Szijjártó and Tamás Menczer.

The parliamentary elections in Slovakia are scheduled for 30 September. Over the weekend, former Slovak police chief Tibor Gašpar, who is currently a politician in the Smer party led by Robert Fico – considered an ally of Fidesz – was arrested on charges of bribery.

Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó recently said that whenever a politician they (Fidesz) like is under investigation, it can only be the work of the liberals. He said that "there is a worldwide manhunt for politicians who openly oppose the international liberal mainstream and courageously represent national interests." This is what Szijjártó believes is behind the judicial and police proceedings against Donald Trump, Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik and the Slovak Tibor Gašpar.

And, a few days ago, Tamás Menczer wrote on Facebook that detaining an opposition politician 48 days before an election is an unusual campaign tactic.

Tibor Gašpar and Norbert Bödör, a businessman from Nitra are suspected of three counts of bribery. What's happening in Slovakia is not at all about a politician being arrested out of the blue. There have been large-scale police investigations and arrests taking place in cases connected to the Slovak political elite and oligarchs linked to them for years. The former national police chief, Tibor Gašpar, who has now been arrested, was among those who were previously detained as well.

By the way, Hungarian opposition parties also have their own views on the relationship between the Hungarian government and the Hungarian police: a few months before the 2022 elections, for example, the office of Budapest mayor Gergely Karácsony was searched by the police in a rather bogus case.

Robert Fico, an ally of Fidesz is considered a favourite in Slovakia's parliamentary elections which were moved up to this autumn. In the 2000s, Fico had a strong anti-Hungarian stance: there was the discriminatory language law, the prosecution of Hedvig Malina, who had been brutally beaten by unknown assailants, the banning of Hungarian President László Sólyom from the country, the police attacks on Hungarian fans in Dunajská Stredaahely, and so on. Smer, the party led by him is seen in the West as a pro-Russian political force, like Fidesz.

This is not the first time there have been frictions between the current Slovak government and the Hungarian government. In July, for example, Slovak Foreign Minister Miroslav Wlachovský said that the Hungarian Foreign Minister, Péter Szijjártó, shouldn't talk about what others think, because there's a good chance things aren't how he thinks. And following Viktor Orbán's speech at the Tusványos Summer Free University this year, the Slovak Foreign Ministry summoned the Hungarian ambassador.