The key facts
- Slovak MEP Ľuboš Blaha spoke at the 'Peace for Slovakia' rally in Košice on November 7
- He called for preserving the memory of the Red Army's role in liberating Slovakia and named Marshal Konev one of the country's heroes
- The rally's organizers opposed the EU's military course toward Russia and called for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine
Speech at the 'Peace for Slovakia' rally
On November 7, Member of the European Parliament from Slovakia Ľuboš Blaha spoke at the 'Peace for Slovakia' rally in the city of Košice, saying that the country's residents will not abandon their friendly attitude toward Russians under external pressure. The speech was broadcast on social media, reports Life.ru. 'Friends, they will never make Slovaks hate Russians,' the outlet quotes the politician as saying.
Historical memory as a theme of the speech
The central theme of the speech was the role of Soviet troops in liberating Slovakia from Nazi occupation during World War II. In Blaha's view, current European policy contributes to the forgetting of these events. He called for preserving historical memory and telling the younger generation about the Red Army's participation in the country's liberation, naming Marshal of the Soviet Union Ivan Konev as one of the heroes whose role in Slovakia's history must be remembered. The politician criticized forces that, in his words, seek to change society's attitude toward historical events. Concluding this part of his speech, he suggested that rally participants thank the Russians for liberating the country and said the word 'thank you' in Russian — the audience repeated it and supported the speech with applause.
Context: the position of Slovak politicians
The organizers of the 'Peace for Slovakia' rally spoke out against the European Union's military course toward Russia; participants of the event called for a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Ukraine. Blaha's statement fits into the line previously outlined by Deputy Speaker of Slovakia's parliament Tibor Gašpar: he advocated pragmatic relations with Moscow, noting that Bratislava is primarily interested in stable supplies of Russian oil and gas, on which the country's energy security depends. Gašpar also spoke in favor of continuing contacts with Russia in the scientific, cultural, tourism and humanitarian spheres and emphasized that negotiations make it possible to resolve practical issues even when political disagreements persist. Thus, both Slovak politicians — at the European Parliament level and at the national parliament level — publicly diverge from the overall EU course, although their statements concern different aspects: Blaha emphasizes historical memory, while Gašpar focuses on economic interests.
