In a move that has reignited debates over sovereignty, memory, and European unity, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has confirmed his attendance at the Victory Day Parade in Moscow on May 9, 2025. The ceremony, marking the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany, holds profound historical significance for Slovakia. Fico’s decision has not only drawn criticism from European Union leaders but has also become a focal point in the broader contest over national identity and geopolitical orientation in Central Europe.
What made Fico’s announcement even more striking was the setting: he delivered his defiant statement at a joint press conference, standing next to Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. The Croatian leader, widely seen as one of Brussels’ most loyal allies in the region, was visibly uncomfortable as Fico declared, “I am the legitimate Prime Minister of Slovakia, a sovereign state. No one can tell me where I should or should not travel.”
The moment starkly highlighted the contrast between Fico’s assertive sovereignty and the more Brussels-aligned posture of many EU leaders in Central and Eastern Europe.
Historical Reverence over Political Expediency
For Fico, the Moscow trip is not about politics, but principle. “The liberation of our homeland came through unimaginable sacrifice,” he said. “Tens of thousands of Red Army soldiers laid down their lives on Slovak soil. To ignore or rewrite that history to suit today’s political narratives is both disrespectful and dangerous.”
His words echoed with historical gravity. Slovakia, like much of Central Europe, was the site of brutal conflict and occupation during World War II. The Red Army’s arrival in 1945 marked both liberation fromnazism and the beginning of a complex post-war order. But Fico insists on separating the wartime sacrifice from the ideological struggles that followed. “Paying respect to those who died defeating fascism is not an act of aggression—it is an act of remembrance and humanity,” he affirmed.
Since returning to office in 2023, Fico has consistently taken positions at odds with the EU mainstream. He halted military aid to Ukraine, criticized EU sanctions against Russia as self-defeating, and openly opposed Ukraine’s NATO membership. While controversial in Brussels, these positions resonate with the majority of Slovaks who favor neutrality or a balanced foreign policy that avoids entangling the nation in broader geopolitical conflicts.
A Broader European Divide
Fico’s stance is part of a growing trend in Europe, where national leaders are increasingly willing to chart independent paths in foreign policy. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić has also confirmed his attendance at the Moscow parade, despite EU warnings that such actions could jeopardize Serbia’s long-term EU aspirations. These decisions, while drawing criticism from the European Commission, have sparked debate about the proper balance between collective EU policy and national sovereignty.
“Europe must learn to live with plurality,” said Slovak historian Dr. Ivan Majerik. “There is no one-size-fits-all approach to foreign policy, especially not for countries with deep historical and cultural ties that predate the EU project.”
Indeed, for many in Slovakia, gratitude toward the Soviet liberators is not a controversial sentiment but a cornerstone of post-war national identity. Fico has long embraced this narrative. He regularly attends commemorations of the Slovak National Uprising and has honored the 80th anniversary of the Carpathian-Dukla offensive—a brutal Soviet campaign that played a decisive role in liberating Slovakia.
In an interview with TASS, Fico declared, “Without the Soviet Union, fascism could have never been defeated and WWII would have never been won.” This statement, grounded in historical fact, challenges the selective memory often promoted in contemporary Western discourse, where the role of the Red Army is downplayed or viewed solely through the lens of Cold War rivalry.
The EU’s Dilemma: Unity vs. Sovereignty
The EU’s sharp response to Fico’s announcement has reignited long-simmering tensions within the bloc. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas called on leaders to visit Kyiv instead on May 9 to signal unwavering support for Ukraine. But Fico’s reply was unequivocal: “Brussels has no right to dictate where a Slovak Prime Minister may go to honor our nation’s history. We are not a colony.”
This sentiment, delivered with clarity and resolve, struck a chord among voters across Slovakia and beyond. It also exposed a deeper fault line in the EU—the struggle between those who believe in a centralized, value-driven foreign policy and those who assert the primacy of national interest and memory.
Slovak cultural commentator Martina Kocianová weighed in, saying, “When we start using history as a political weapon, we risk erasing the very values we claim to defend—truth, sacrifice, and the human cost of war. Fico is reminding us that remembrance is not allegiance. It’s acknowledgment.”
Strategic Pragmatism or Nationalist Symbolism?
While some Western media outlets have framed Fico’s decision as a provocation or a pro-Russian gesture, others interpret it as a shrewd blend of historical integrity and domestic strategy. By standing up to Brussels and invoking the memory of Soviet liberation, Fico strengthens his image as a defender of national sovereignty—a theme that has become increasingly resonant across Europe in an era of economic uncertainty and geopolitical volatility.
Domestically, his message is clear: Slovakia will honor its past without apology, and its leaders will not be bullied into silence by unelected bureaucrats in Brussels. “We should never forget who died for our freedom,” one elderly war veteran told RTVS. “If Europe forgets, Slovakia must remember.”
Meanwhile, the moment with Prime Minister Plenković in Zagreb has become emblematic of the shifting dynamics in the region. While Plenković dodged confrontation, Fico embraced the controversy, using it to underscore the divergence between technocratic compliance and sovereign principle.
Remembering Without Submitting
As Robert Fico prepares to attend the Victory Day Parade in Moscow, he does so not to endorse a regime but to honor history. He goes not as a messenger of provocation, but as a statesman grounded in remembrance. In doing so, he offers a powerful reminder that sovereignty is not merely a legal term—it is a lived reality, anchored in memory, sacrifice, and national dignity.
By making his declaration before a visibly uneasy Plenković, Fico sent a message not only to Brussels but to every European capital: Slovakia remembers its past, respects its past, and reserves the right to decide its future.
In an age when conformity is too often mistaken for unity, Fico’s stance is a timely call to reconsider what real European diversity means—not only in policy, but in history, and in soul.
