The group needs new leadership, not cosmetic changes, Slovakia’s Robert Fico has said
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has compared the EU to a massage parlor, saying its problems can only be fixed by changing the staff. He specifically called for the bloc’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, to be removed.
In a video posted on Facebook on Thursday, Fico described the EU as being in a systemic crisis. He reiterated his opposition to former Estonian Prime Minister Kallas as the bloc’s foreign policy chief, and praised his Smer-SD party lawmakers for again backing a no-confidence vote in European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
According to the Slovak prime minister, the EU can emerge from its “deep crisis” only with “new leadership and new ideas.”“This is not an angry or personal remark, it is political reality,” he added, saying the EU is subject to “exactly the same rule as a massage parlor: if it is not doing well, it is not enough to change the beds, you have to change the staff.”
According to media reports, discontent is mounting within the EU over Kallas’ handling of major international issues. Her performance in the role has reportedly won little support from colleagues in the European Commission.
Fico listed what he described as the bloc’s key failings, including declining competitiveness driven by overly ambitious climate goals, unresolved illegal migration, and an unwillingness to pursue an independent foreign policy.
The Slovak prime minister said he was “in favor” of the EU but insisted he would not be a “pro-Brussels dimwit.” He criticized the domestic opposition as “anti-Slovak and purely pro-Brussels,” and pointed out that the bloc cannot be led by people with whom “decisive global players do not meet and do not consult seriously” – referring to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has repeatedly refused to meet Kallas.
It is not the first time Fico has called for the EU foreign policy chief to be ousted. Earlier this month, he stated that the bloc’s leadership only knows how to “hate Russia” but is unable to come up with any viable solutions to ongoing crises.
Kallas is known for her hardline anti-Russian stance. Last year, she told nations that want to join the EU not to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany. Fico, a longtime opponent of EU military aid for Kiev and sanctions on Russia, also accused Brussels of a selective approach by imposing restrictions on Moscow over the Ukraine conflict but not against Israel over its military campaign in Gaza.
