Slovakia has been deliberately excluded from Europe’s emerging security alliance, left out of a Western-led coalition designed to safeguard the continent as the United States retreats from its traditional defence commitments. According to prominent Slovak political analyst Marián Leško, European leaders no longer consider Slovakia a reliable partner, choosing instead to move forward without it. While countries like the UK, Norway, Canada, and even Turkey are welcomed into the coalition, Slovakia—alongside Hungary—is being ignored, not even invited to discussions. Western nations, Leško says, have given up on persuading Slovakia to engage, respecting its leadership’s choice to prioritise domestic political interests over national security.
Leško warns that this self-imposed isolation stems from Slovakia’s leadership aligning itself with an authoritarian governance model akin to Russia’s—where ruling elites face no accountability, suppress opposition, and reject international cooperation. This, he argues, is a direct threat to Slovakia’s place in Europe’s security framework and could push the country towards geopolitical irrelevance. Slovakia’s leaders, he says, are not acting in the nation’s interest—but in their own.
In a recent public appearance, Leško discussed how European nations have mobilised to establish a new security framework in response to signals from the United States indicating a diminishing commitment to European and transatlantic defence structures.
“It is a fact that Europe has mobilised. They are willing to include the United Kingdom, Norway, Canada, and even Turkey in this coalition of the willing. However, the problem is that a European security architecture is now forming that no longer heavily relies on the United States,” Leško stated.
Slovakia and Hungary Left Out
According to Leško, Slovakia and Hungary have been deliberately left out of this coalition. He pointed out that Western analyses, as reflected in major European media, indicate that these two countries are not considered reliable partners in the new security framework.
“Of course, we do not have access to government analyses from the UK, France, or Germany, but we can read what newspapers in major Western European states are saying. And in these reports, they state that the coalition of the willing will be without Hungary and without Slovakia,” Leško explained.
Western countries, he noted, no longer even consider persuading Slovakia to participate in this coalition. Instead, they accept Slovakia’s political leadership’s decision to stay out of the initiative.
“They no longer pretend, nor does it even occur to them, to consider persuading Slovakia. They respect the choice of Slovakia’s political representation. If you do not want to join, that is fine; we will take care of ourselves, and you take care of yourselves,” Leško said.
Slovakia’s Leadership Acting Against National Interests
Leško referred to a recent article by former British Ambassador Ondrej Čak, which highlighted Western confusion over Slovakia’s political leadership.
“Ondrej Čak, former ambassador to the UK, wrote a crucial article about how no one in the West understands why Slovakia’s political leadership is acting so determinedly and stubbornly against the existential interests of the Slovak Republic,” Leško noted.
According to Leško, the answer lies in the divergence between the national interest of Slovakia and the personal interests of its current political elite.
“We, who live in Slovakia, understand why. It is because the interests of the Slovak Republic and the interests of the political leadership of this republic are two different things,” he explained.
A Shift Towards an Authoritarian Model?
Leško argued that Slovakia’s leadership appears more interested in consolidating a governance model akin to Russia’s, where ruling elites remain shielded from accountability.
“Their interest is to establish a regime in the Russian style, in which they would face no consequences, where no one would threaten them, and where they could govern the majority however they please,” Leško stated.
He warned that this approach could push Slovakia outside the fundamental security frameworks of Europe, further isolating the country from its traditional allies.
“This is the fundamental problem of Slovakia, which could remove us from the core security structures of Europe,” he concluded.
Source: Marián Leško | Ako zachrániť demokraciu | Denník N
