President and political parties rejected any discussion about Slovakia’s withdrawal from the EU and NATO

Bratislava – President of the Slovak Republic Peter Pellegrini, the coalition party Hlas-SD as well as the opposition parties PS, SaS, and Movement Slovakia have rejected any discussion about a possible withdrawal of Slovakia from the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). They responded to the words of Deputy Speaker of the National Council of the Slovak Republic for Smer-SD Tibor Gašpar, who on Friday (January 17) admitted the possibility of Slovakia leaving both communities, reports TASR.

President of the Slovak Republic Peter Pellegrini posted a quote from the memorandum of the highest constitutional officials from September 2024 on social media, in which they clearly pledged support for Slovakia’s indisputable membership in the EU and NATO.

“The HLAS-SD party advocates a sovereign foreign policy in which Slovak interests must come first. However, we reject any discussion about a possible withdrawal of Slovakia from the EU or NATO,” said party spokeswoman Michaela Eliášová.

Gašpar commented on the proposal of the opposition party SaS to enshrine membership of Slovakia in the EU and NATO in the constitution in the news of the television station STVR. He recalled that Slovakia joined both communities based on a referendum and the same rule should govern any potential exit, which he described as an extreme solution. He also stated that Smer-SD does not currently prioritize or aim to leave the EU or NATO.

“But both of these associations evolve over time. They may change some fundamental issues or principles of functioning that existed at the time we joined them. Therefore, doors must remain open for the situation where we might eventually consider even such an extreme solution as leaving the EU,” Gašpar said.

Progressive Slovakia (PS) strongly rejected Tibor Gašpar’s words about the possibility of Slovakia leaving the EU and NATO.

“What we warned about is confirmed: the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic Robert Fico is preparing the ground for taking Slovakia out of Europe,” the movement stated on social media. According to PS, it was confirmed in full view that Fico’s government is capable of trying to cover up its own failures by threatening the basic pillars of stability, safety, and prosperity of Slovakia. “Entire generations of people in Slovakia have fought for Slovakia’s clear European anchoring, we will not allow Fico’s patchwork to endanger the future of the Slovak Republic,” PS emphasized.

The opposition party SaS called on Prime Minister Robert Fico and the Smer-SD party to officially confirm Tibor Gašpar’s position. TASR was informed about this by SaS spokesperson Ondrej Šprlák.

“We were shocked by the reaction of the deputy speaker of parliament. Tibor Gašpar admitted that Slovakia could leave the EU. We call on the party Smer and Prime Minister Robert Fico to officially endorse or refute these words,” said SaS chairman Branislav Gröhling and called on all parliamentary parties to take a position on the proposed constitutional change.

SaS wants to enshrine the Slovak Republic’s membership in the EU and NATO in the Constitution of the Slovak Republic. Members of the National Council of the Slovak Republic for SaS want to push this change through a draft constitutional law that would amend the constitution. The National Council of the Slovak Republic should discuss the proposal at the February session. (January 18)

“Both of these associations evolve over time. They may change some fundamental issues or principles of functioning that existed at the time we joined them. Therefore, doors must remain open for the situation where we might eventually consider even such an extreme solution as leaving the EU.” Tibor Gašpar.