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I. Korčok criticizes that Slovak diplomacy, unlike the EU, did not condemn the elections in Belarus

by AI | 29.Jan 2025 | Europe in brief AI

Korčok criticized Slovak diplomacy for not condemning the presidential elections in Belarus.

Member of the PS presidency Ivan Korčok criticizes Slovak diplomacy over the elections in Belarus. Photo: TASR

Bratislava – The opposition movement Progressive Slovakia (PS) criticizes the government’s and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ stance on the presidential elections in Belarus. PS labeled the elections as unfree and undemocratic. It reproaches Slovak diplomacy for not condemning the elections and remaining silent, unlike the EU and its other member countries. This was stated by PS presidium member Ivan Korčok at a press conference on Wednesday, reports TASR.

The European Union and other countries refused to recognize the results of the Belarusian elections even before the results were published. Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár (Smer-SD) has not done so yet, as pointed out by the former head of Slovak diplomacy.

“I waited three days to see if Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár (Smer-SD) would express his opinion on what happened in Belarus over the weekend. The result is not surprising. We have become accustomed to the minister and thus also Slovak diplomacy being silent on serious issues of international affairs. Is this the sovereign policy? We kick our allies, but we are afraid to condemn elections that were evidently manipulated,” he noted.

Korčok also criticized the fact that Slovakia is to have a new ambassador in Belarus. He pointed out that since the violent suppression of civil protests in 2020, no EU member country except Hungary has sent an ambassador to the country.

“With this step, we are once again moving away from our partners in the EU. This is another piece of the puzzle of how the government, through concrete actions, gradually pulls us away from Europe,” he added.

In the presidential elections in Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko won for the seventh time. Western countries accuse him of autocracy and violating fundamental democratic principles. According to the Belarusian human rights organization Viasna, there are more than 1,250 political prisoners in the country. On Sunday, only symbolic challengers stood against Lukashenko in the elections, who do not openly criticize the Belarusian leader. Most relevant opposition politicians are in jail, in exile, or their candidacy was rejected by the election commission. Lukashenko first became president in 1994. (January 29)

“I waited three days to see if Foreign Minister Juraj Blanár would express his opinion on what happened in Belarus over the weekend. The result is not surprising. We have become accustomed to the minister and thus also Slovak diplomacy being silent on serious issues of international affairs. Is this the sovereign policy? We kick our allies, but we are afraid to condemn elections that were evidently manipulated,” Ivan Korčok