Until recently, the Czech Republic and Slovakia understood each other extremely well. However, Putin's aggressive war has changed this. Slovaks are increasingly oriented towards Russia, while the Czechs support Ukraine. The two countries are moving further and further apart.
Since the collapse of Czechoslovakia in 1992, relations between Czechs and Slovaks have actually always been good and close and based on mutual trust. The two governments support and work together in the field of defense, the two languages are very similar, and tens of thousands of young Slovaks study at Czech universities, which are famous for their higher-quality education.
The first foreign trip of the Czech and Slovak heads of state is always to the respective neighboring country, and joint government meetings are held at least once a year. Public opinion polls always show that Slovakia is the favorite foreign country of the Czechs, and vice versa - the Czech Republic is the favorite foreign country of the Slovaks.
The end of the "exceptional" relations?
However, relations have cooled significantly since Robert Fico was elected Prime Minister of Slovakia in October 2023. The nationalist government, inspired by Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and oriented towards Russia, clashed with the pro-Ukrainian Czech cabinet of Petr Fiala. The gap is so great that in March 2024 Prague decided to cancel the traditional joint meeting of the two governments.
"Exclusive relations" have been suspended indefinitely, Prague said at the time. "We do not consider it appropriate to hold government talks with the government of the Slovak Republic in the coming weeks or months. We cannot hide the fact that there are significant differences of opinion on some important foreign policy issues," Prime Minister Fiala told journalists.
Fico then ordered the termination of the Slovak government's military aid to Ukraine and began restoring relations with Moscow, accusing Fiala's cabinet of inciting war. "We note that the Czech government has decided to jeopardize our relations only because it is interested in supporting the war in Ukraine, while the Slovak government wants to talk openly about peace", Fico wrote on social media.
Although cooperation on some lower-level projects continues, there is no longer a trace of the understanding of previous years. Especially against the backdrop of Slovakia's continued rapprochement with Russia. This recently culminated in Fico's participation in the celebrations in Moscow on May 9, where he was the only head of government from the European Union.
Growing distance between the two peoples
Domestic political events in Slovakia, where the government is suppressing independent public media and cultural institutions and making it difficult to fight political corruption, are also having a negative impact in the neighboring country.
The cooling between the governments is already starting to be felt among the people. According to the annual survey by the Czech STEM public opinion research institute, which was published a few days ago, Slovakia is no longer the most popular country among Czechs - it currently ranks tenth in this ranking.
The cooling accelerated a year ago when the pro-Western Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová, who was extremely popular in the Czech Republic, was replaced by Peter Pellegrini, a former minister in Fico's previous government. President Pellegrini is viewed positively by only 38% of Czechs - significantly less than his predecessor Čaputová. "In the last year of her mandate, she enjoyed 68% support among Czechs," says STEM analyst Silvia Petty.
Every fifth Slovak is a supporter of Russia
There are also deep differences between the two countries regarding Ukraine. According to a survey conducted by the CVVM Institute in April 2025, 58% of Czechs support military aid to the attacked country. In Slovakia, however, according to an IPSOS survey from the beginning of the year, only 16% approve of such support. A third of voters for Fico's ruling Smer party and 20% of Slovaks overall even want Russia to win the war. In the Czech Republic, their share is significantly lower - only seven percent would be happy with such a development.
The Slovak weekly Tyzden points out that Czech President Petr Pavel received Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at Prague Castle shortly before May 8, while Fico expressed his respect for Vladimir Putin in Moscow a few days later. The photos from Prague Castle and the Kremlin clearly speak of two opposing worlds, commented editor-in-chief Stefan Hrib.
The Slovak opposition is welcome in Prague
Government politicians in Bratislava are trying to downplay the differences between the two neighboring countries. "The main message should be: despite the different views at the level of governments, and sometimes even at the level of heads of state, our common positions still exist,", told DW the speaker of the Slovak parliament and deputy chairman of the coalition party "Vlas" Richard Rasi. He believes that after the elections in the Czech Republic in October, joint meetings of the Czech and Slovak governments may be resumed.
The Slovak opposition, led by the "Progressive Slovakia" party, maintains good relations with Prague, and its representatives are received at the highest level in the Czech capital. The former foreign minister, who lost to Pellegrini in last year's presidential election, addressed the Czechs with the words: "Believe me, there is a political alternative in Slovakia in the face of the opposition and "Progressive Slovakia". It will bring Slovakia back from the periphery of Europe back to the center, and it will also restore the wonderful Czech-Slovak relations."
"Progressive Slovakia" has been leading in all opinion polls since the beginning of the year and, together with other opposition parties, would currently gain a majority in parliament. In the Czech Republic, on the other hand, the right-wing populist party "Action of Dissatisfied Citizens" (ANO) of oligarch Andrej Babis is leading in the polls ahead of the October elections. Babis does not hide his sympathies for Fico and Orban. The political estrangement between the two countries could therefore continue - but in the opposite direction.