How to understand Slovakia, Slovaks, and their politics? You won’t.

How is it possible that, during a certain phase of the war in Ukraine, Slovakia was one of Ukraine’s biggest supporters – on par with the Baltic states – and yet today, it has the most pro-Russian foreign policy in the entire EU? How is it that Slovakia – together with Bulgaria – consistently ranks as the most pro-Russian country in EU surveys, while also being the most integrated with the Union among its neighbors: using the euro (unlike Hungary, Poland, or the Czech Republic) and being in NATO (unlike Austria)? What is going on here?

So, sit down, grab something good to eat – today, I’m diving into one of my favorite questions.

How to understand Slovakia?

First of all: you can’t. Not even Slovaks understand Slovakia. And those who claim they do usually aren’t even trying – they’re just speaking from inside one of the country’s opinion bubbles.

When it comes to Slovakia, the question needs to be more humble. More grounded. We should be asking: How *can* we try to understand Slovakia?

Protest against Robert Fico's foreign policy under the Slovak National Uprising Memorial in Banská Bystrica

Let’s pause for a moment on my opening. You might think this sudden political U-turn – the shift in Slovakia’s stance toward Ukraine – is strange, maybe even shocking. But it’s not. It didn’t surprise me. I’ve been trying to think of a way to explain it clearly. What follows will be a simplification, but one that touches on something essential.

Here’s the thing: in every conflict, Slovaks are winners. Why? Because they’re always on both sides.

Under the monarchy, some Slovaks sided with the Habsburgs, others with the anti-Habsburg uprisings. During World War I, some fought for the emperor – the Central Powers – while others supported the creation of Czechoslovakia, which meant backing the Allies. In World War II, Slovak soldiers marched alongside Nazi Germany into Poland and the Soviet Union – but today, we celebrate the victory of the anti-fascist coalition, of which exiled Czechoslovakia was a part – and we remember the uprising of part of the Slovak army against its own regime and the looming German occupation.

Confused? That’s okay. It gets worse.

I can’t think of a single historical event that all Slovaks agree is worth celebrating.

The creation of the First Czechoslovak Republic in 1918? Celebrated by some. Others reject it for being too dominated by Czechoslovakism.

The Slovak State of 1939? Again, only by some.

The Slovak National Uprising of 1944? At the time, the Slovak president awarded medals to those who suppressed it. Even today, not everyone in Slovakia celebrates it.

The Velvet Revolution and the fall of socialism? Not everyone’s on board with that either.

Constitution Day? Only part of the political spectrum voted for it in 1992 – and not the whole country treats it as a real holiday.

The founding of independent Slovakia in 1993? A large part of society never wanted Czechoslovakia to break up in the first place – and not everyone sees that day as worth celebrating.

We don’t have a single day, a single event, a single political moment that brings us all together.

And that’s the foundation you need to see if you want to understand Slovakia at all. In every conflict, we’re on both sides – and we don’t agree on anything fundamental.

Some Slovaks might say, “But surely everyone admires Štefánik.” And yes, most Slovaks do. But why? Because Štefánik was a remarkable, inspiring figure – and because he died tragically before he could become active in domestic politics. Had he lived and entered the political arena of the First Republic, I can guarantee you he would’ve become controversial. Because he would’ve had to take a stand on something serious. And Slovaks are always split on serious political questions.

A clear example: Slovaks couldn’t even agree on what their standard language should be. Catholics codified one version of Slovak. Protestants (Lutherans) codified another. I don’t even know how else to show you. In Slovakia, we can’t agree on anything truly foundational – there’s always an opposing side. And you’ll never understand us if you don’t understand that.

And here’s the twist – many Slovaks will now tell you this isn’t true. That I’m exaggerating. Because they’re looking at the world from inside their own opinion bubble, where it *seems* like there’s some kind of consensus. But that’s the paradox – Slovaks can’t even agree that they don’t agree on anything.

And that’s where I’ll leave it. Because if I went on to explain why this is the case, or why Slovakia can’t be understood purely through logic, I’d inevitably fall into one of those bubbles – and someone would see me as preaching from one side to the other. And that’s not what I want to do.

If you have any thoughts, questions, or feedback, feel free to drop me a message at mail@richardgolian.com.