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Former President Miloš Zeman participated in an interview with Prime Minister Robert Fic (Smér) shortly after being released from the hospital.
While Fico was directly with the presenter in the studio, Zeman joined remotely from an armchair in his living room. “Dear Robo, I’m glad to hear you again,” Zeman began his performance.
After Fico, he indirectly greeted the presidential candidate Peter Pellegrini. “Whose political fate are you talking about these days,” greeted Zeman, which made the moderator slightly nervous.
Right after that, he warned the audience that there is already a moratorium in Slovakia at the moment, when it is not possible to conduct an election campaign or support any of the candidates.
Despite the warning, Zeman returned to Pellegrini at the very end of the interview. “Say hello to Peter Pellegrini, I have all four thumbs up for him,” he supported him despite the moratorium.
One of the topics of the conversation was Zeman’s health. “I like you very much and I cannot agree that there are more important things than health,” Fico flattered the former Czech president.
The current mood in the V4 was also discussed, which is currently rather divided into two opinion blocs, the Czech Republic and Poland, and Slovakia and Hungary against them.
“No relations have cooled, nations will not allow relations to cool just because there is a politician on one side who does not want to cooperate. V4 will survive the premieres, let’s finally understand it,” said Robert Fico. He added that the countries also have the same opinion about Ukraine, they just differ in what the aid should be.
He then added that if the prime ministers in the V4 do not understand that they must work together, they will not survive in Europe. “Whoever doesn’t understand this is making a huge political mistake,” Fico said.
“Yes, there are people who say that if we don’t agree on some things, then the V4 is worthless. These people think in a totalitarian way: If someone disagrees with me, they are my enemy,” said Zeman and called for tolerance, saying that he can be inspired even by those with whom he disagrees. “Yes, he can be a jerk,” he added.
Fico: This conflict cannot be won militarily
The two politicians also exchanged views on the war launched by Russia in Ukraine. Fico reiterated again that he is a supporter of peace talks. “The strategy in Ukraine is unsuccessful. And the Western countries force us to continue it,” he said, adding that the situation is unfavorable for Ukraine and, according to him, the military reality is the opposite of the wishes of Western politicians.
“That conflict cannot be won militarily, in two years they will be where they are now, but they will be full of cemeteries on both sides. Is it better to keep killing yourself for ten years?” asked the old Slovak prime minister.
Zeman indirectly supported his opinion, stating that there are people who want to prolong the crisis until the last Ukrainian soldier dies.
“It would be much more reasonable to preserve the dignity of both sides and try not to kill thousands and thousands of young men who are the future of their country,” said Zeman. The moderator’s question about how the two politicians would like to arrange it was not answered.
