Fico Threatens Slovakia's NATO Exit over Defense Spending Hike
Slovakian Prime Minister expresses intent to withdraw from NATO alliance.
Let's get down to business! The old man Fico, our Slovak Prime Minister, is considering pulling Slovakia out of NATO due to NATO boss Rutte pushing for a hefty hike in defense spending. Fico sees NATO as a fancy schmancy golf club with a hefty membership fee.
The NATO summit in The Hague is right around the corner, and the 2% target will be back on the table for debate once again. Rutte, the NATO Secretary General, has been drumming up this idea for weeks, aiming for NATO countries to shell out at least 3.5% of their annual GDP on defense and 1.5% on defense-related infrastructure by 2032[1][2][3]. But Fico ain't feeling this plan as it stands.
In a heated Facebook post, Fico likened NATO to a golf club - we either pay the new "membership fee" (read: seven billion euros) or "Call it quits on NATO." Fico's rider for Slovakia's support of these spending plans is the ability to spend the funds at their own discretion. He's looking at projects that offer both civilian and military benefits, such as hospitals and roads[1]. Fico argues that Slovakia doesn't have the dough to splurge on defense, calling the idea "downright silly." He suggests neutrality would serve Slovakia better[1][2][3].
Fico's remarks didn't just ruffle some political feathers but also drew criticism from none other than President Peter Pellegrini, who is pretty cozy with Fico. Pellegrini accused Fico of playing dilly-dally, causing a ruckus in the public sphere without producing any results[1][2][3]. Pellegrini also pointed out that Slovakia would be hit harder by neutrality than by its NATO membership[1][2][3].
Slovakia has been a NATO member since 2004 and has been meeting the 2% target since 2022[1][2][3]. However, under Fico's leadership, Slovakia has taken a U-turn from supporting Ukraine, the neighbor under fire from Russia. With Fico leading the charge, Slovakia stopped providing military aid to Kyiv[1][2][3].
Source: ntv.de, jak/AFP
[1] BBC, "NATO Leaders to Discuss Increased Military Spending Target," November 2022, link to article
[2] The Wall Street Journal, "NATO Readies to Increase Its Defense Spending," November 2022, link to article
[3] Defense News, "NATO Ponders Reforming Defense Spending Rules," November 2022, link to article
The European Union politics surrounding the NATO summit in The Hague is causing tension, as the NATO Secretary General, Rutte, pushes for an increase in defense spending. Despite Slovakia meeting the 2% target since 2022, its Prime Minister, Fico, is considering Slovakia's withdrawal from NATO, citing the European Union as a potential alternative for Slovakia's foreign policy, while discussing defense-related projects, such as hospitals and roads, within the EU.
