Slovak Ambassador to Prague Martin Muransky has complained to the Czech Foreign Ministry over the participation of Czech Deputy PM and Interior Minister Vit Rakusan in an opposition rally in Bratislava opposing the Slovak cabinet’s draft consolidation package, Czech foreign ministry spokesman Daniel Drake told CTK.
The ministry’s European section senior director Radek Pech, who received the ambassador at the office, explained to him that Rakusan’s participation in Tuesday’s demonstration in the Slovak capital had been a private matter. The meeting lasted about 20 minutes.
At the ministry, Muransky conveyed a statement from Slovak Foreign Minister Juraj Blanar, who described the presence of a member of the Czech government at the protest rally as interference in Slovakia’ s internal affairs.
“Such behaviour does not contribute to a constructive Slovak-Czech dialogue, but on the contrary I see it as an abuse in the context of the culminating election campaign in the Czech Republic,” wrote Blanar in a statement.
“This was a private activity of the interior minister. Senior director Pech explained this to the Slovak ambassador today,” said Drake.
Speaking in the Slovak parliament today, Blanar rejected the suggestion that it was a private trip by Rakusan, arguing that Rakusan is still serving as deputy prime minister, and was therefore representing the Czech government at anti-government protests in Slovakia.
Other Slovak ministers also criticised Rakusan, leader of the Mayors and Independents (STAN), which is a member of the Czech governing coalition. On the other hand, Michal Simecka, the leader of the strongest Slovak opposition party Progressive Slovakia (PS), praised the Czech minister ‘s move.
Rakusan told CTK on Wednesday that he had attended the event as a private individual and had not interfered in Slovak political affairs.
“I respect the fact that Minister Blanar is expressing his protest. However, I do not remember him protesting when Andrej Babis participated in the election campaign of Peter Pellegrini or when (former) president Zeman regularly supported the Smer party in their campaign. I did not hear any protests then. And I would like to point out that no campaign is underway in Slovakia now,” Rakusan added.
Last year, at the end of the campaign before the decisive second round of the Slovak presidential election, Babis endorsed Pellegrini during a joint debate in Slovakia, who went on to win the second round. Before the 2023 parliamentary elections in Slovakia and during the electoral moratorium, Babis warned against voting for PS, and praised the cooperation with Pellegrini and Fico, leader of Smer-SD.
