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Fico defends ties with Beijing and Moscow, says Bratislava 'not interested' in LGBT agenda, 'Brussels left'

Fico defends ties with Beijing and Moscow, says Bratislava 'not interested' in LGBT agenda, 'Brussels left'

"Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, during a press conference on Saturday, said Slovakia’s foreign policy would remain 'sovereign' and open to all directions, including continued engagement with Beijing and Moscow. "We cannot leave behind my visits to the celebrations of the end of the Second World War and other things," Fico said, adding, "I won’t go to Moscow or Beijing or anywhere else just to please somebody. I’m very sorry.” He argued that his Smer-SD party represents a party of 'peace' and that maintaining dialogue with major global powers like Russia and China serves Slovakia’s national interests. Fico also confirmed the growing divide between his party and the mainstream socialist bloc in Europe, suggesting that Smer could help form a new political group in the European Parliament. He also criticised what he called the 'Brussels left', accusing European institutions of 'abandoning' traditional left-wing values and prioritising LGBT issues over real social concerns. "The Brussels left, that is, the left that only cares about homosexuals. We’re not interested in that. LGBT can’t be the number one topic for us," Fico said, adding, "Brussels is not going to tell us that because we have two sexes in the constitution, we are to be excluded." The remarks follow after Fico criticised the Party of European Socialists (PES) after it announced the exclusion of Smer this October. The Slovak leader also claimed that one of the main reasons for his party's suspension from the second-largest faction in the European Parliament was his attendance at the WWII Victory celebrations in Russia and China.  Fico pledged to continue working with Beijing and Moscow and rejected the REPowerEU plan aimed at reducing Russian energy imports to the EU, noting that the initiative is largely based on 'dirty politics'. Both Slovakia and Hungary have long relied on Russian oil and gas supplies, which are mainly transported through Soviet-era pipelines, such as the Druzhba oil pipeline. Fico and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban repeatedly opposed initiatives on phasing out Russian energy, warning that it would cause serious economic disruption. The European Union, however, continues to pursue ending its reliance on Russian fossil fuels under the REPowerEU strategy. Brussels defended these measures as necessary for Europe's long-term independence."