The leader of the Slovak National Party (SNS), Ján Slota, is one of those politicians who have recently been referred to with a fair amount of irony as 'European Zhirinovskys': he loves accusatory speeches and catchy phrases on any occasion. His forte is 'simple' solutions to complex problems. For example, he would gladly have Slovak prostitutes, 'usually ugly Gypsy women,' publicly flogged. On behalf of his party, several months ago he already proposed that Gypsies of both sexes pay 20,000 crowns (about €522) if they voluntarily undergo sterilization. The 52-year-old ultra-patriot also dislikes Hungarians: in his opinion, they are 'barbarian nomads, robbers, and child killers' – in short, 'Europe's misfortune,' who dream of enslaving small but proud Slovakia.
Irony of fate: it is precisely Slovakia, proclaimed in recent years as a model new EU member state, earning respect from neighbors near and far for bold reforms and real improvement in the well-being of its citizens, now has a government where the tone will be set by the far-right – and not only them. The new Slovak prime minister, Social Democrat leader Robert Fico, found no better option than to offer two small parties a place in the ruling coalition: the far-right SNS of Ján Slota and the 'Movement for a Democratic Slovakia' (HZDS) (behind this high-sounding title hide... former communists led by former 'almost dictator' Vladimír Mečiar). Mečiar's methods are well remembered not only by Slovaks but also by other Europeans: his involvement in the kidnapping of Slovak President Kováč's son is still under investigation. Or rather, it was investigated, at least in Slovakia, because one of the conditions Mečiar set for agreeing to support the Social Democrats was the immediate cessation of the investigation. The EU is unlikely to stop its inquiries, whether Mečiar is in power or not.
Robert Fico and his associates had the opportunity to create a so-called 'Grand Coalition' along the lines of Germany, had they offered an alliance to those they defeated in the election – the Christian Democrats of reformist Prime Minister Mikuláš Dzurinda. However, as Fico himself stated in a conversation with the leader of the Social Democrats in the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, this was completely impossible for personal reasons. Schulz himself apparently tried to convince the ex-communist Fico 'not to do this,' but without success. The German Social Democrat expressed his impressions of the conversation as follows: 'I fear Robert Fico is driven not by concern for his country's benefit, but by personal ambition.'
However, what worries Europe more than Vladimír Mečiar, who has considerably lost his electorate in recent years and entered the ruling coalition as the junior partner, is the far-right Ján Slota. His party, which has so far distinguished itself by nothing but hatred of Hungarians and Gypsies, lists as close partners, for example, Le Pen's National Front and the Belgian far-right Vlaams Blok. European Social Democrats have even seriously considered 'asking' their Slovak colleagues to leave their ranks.
'The main problem,' wrote the Slovak central newspaper Pravda on this matter, 'is the moral character of the new government, resting on three pillars: a populist, a drunkard, and a liar.' The Slovak ruling trio of the new convocation is thus the worst possible post-election option. To the disappointment of entrepreneurs, the Social Democrats had already stated before the elections that they intended to roll back some successfully proven reforms, including the uniform 19% income tax – in order to 'restore social justice.' Apparently, the main model for this is to reintroduce one of the most cumbersome tax and benefit systems Europe has ever known – a system that functioned under the communist Mečiar and not only successfully scared off foreign investors but also hindered the development of Slovak private enterprises. Additionally, possible re-privatization and a new income taxation system are envisaged.
As for the right-wing radical Slota, he, evidently well aware of his own unsuitability for real economic problem-solving, demanded for his party the post of minister of education – seemingly less important, but in fact much more convenient for influencing minds. Incidentally, the SNS had already run the education ministry from 1994 to 1998. At that time, according to German political scientists, Slovak nationalists, while formally meeting the EU's minimum requirements, managed to almost completely replace Hungarians in the positions of school principals – under the pretext of the danger of 'Magyarization of Slovakia' (referring to the times when Czechoslovakia was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire).
Interestingly, the right-wing and left-wing radicals, tempted by the opportunity to grab a share of power, forgot their fundamental differences and rushed into government. Slovak Ivan Ivanovich and Ivan Nikiforovich – the Social Democrats and Conservatives – could learn from such behavior. Perhaps then they would have reached an agreement.
However, similar political upheavals are happening not only in Slovakia, and it is not the first country on the path to radicalization of Europe's East. In mid-June, the European Parliament adopted a resolution titled 'Strengthening of racist tendencies in Poland.' In this country, now governed by twin brothers Lech and Jarosław Kaczyński, the government includes, for example, the far-right League of Polish Families, one of whose members, already in his official capacity, called for the beating of homosexuals.
League leader and Polish Deputy Prime Minister Roman Giertych, back in his student days in 1989, revived the notoriously famous pre-war Polish organization "All-Polish Youth", which called, among other things, for cooperation with the Nazis and Jewish pogroms. Giertych himself occasionally greets "like-minded people" with the Nazi salute, and the most famous "action" of his party is the creation of an "anti-abortion hotline", where anyone can call and "snitch" on doctors suspected of performing abortions. Whether true or not, from that moment on, the "reported" doctor has a hard time: he is persecuted to the fullest extent, including street beatings. Deputy Prime Minister Roman Giertych is a worthy successor to his father Mateusz, a Member of the European Parliament, remembered by colleagues for his fiery speech praising the Spanish dictator Franco. Another Deputy Prime Minister of the Polish government no less worthily completes the ruling triumvirate: Andrzej Lepper, leader of the far-right party "Self-Defense", who calls himself a "moderate Hitler."
To counteract all these "new Europeans," the vice-chair of the European liberals' faction, German Silvana Koch-Mehrin, proposed that the European Parliament finally consider the possibility of applying Article 7 of the European Treaty. According to this article, the rights of an EU member state can be limited or completely revoked if that state violates the foundations of democracy and tramples on human rights enshrined in the constitutions of all European countries. "Europe must exert strong political pressure on such governments so that members of national cabinets cannot even attempt to make such racist and nationalist démarches," she believes.
In neighboring Czech Republic, where the conservative ODS and the Social Democrats cannot find a way out of the deadlock after the elections, it is not the right-wing but the left-wing that are causing fear. The most conservative communist party in Europe, the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia, increased its electorate at the expense of citizens dissatisfied with the European Union, worried about cuts in social guarantees. The Stalinist-style communists became the third strongest party in the country. Political scientists consider them a classic protest party, without a coherent economic program, but attracting those dissatisfied with the current state of affairs through flashy slogans like "share everything."
It is noteworthy that even here the "far-left," trying to get as many votes as possible, do not shy away from the slogans of national radicals: the fight against foreigners, "the leading role of Czechs in Europe" — all these ideas have been adopted by the internationalist communists into their arsenal. Politicians like Václav Havel simply ignored them. The new president of the country, Václav Klaus, was elected to his post with the help of votes cast for him by the communists. It is quite possible that the Social Democrats will not disdain inviting them into the cabinet — for the sake of "stable government," for the sake of "the interests of the people," and other things that those who want power for power's sake love to remember.