Slovak PM Calls for Replacement of EU’s Kaja Kallas

(MENAFN) Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has launched a scathing attack on the European Union, drawing a provocative comparison between the bloc and a massage parlor while demanding the replacement of its top foreign policy official, Kaja Kallas.

In a Thursday Facebook video statement, Fico diagnosed the EU as suffering from systemic failure. The Slovak leader renewed his criticism of Kallas, the former Estonian Prime Minister now serving as the bloc's foreign policy chief, while commending his Smer-SD party members for supporting another no-confidence motion against European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

The path out of this "deep crisis" requires "new leadership and new ideas," Fico declared. "This is not an angry or personal remark, it is political reality," he stated, before delivering his controversial analogy: the EU follows "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."

Growing dissatisfaction with Kallas' management of critical international matters has been documented in media accounts. Reports indicate her tenure has garnered minimal backing from fellow European Commission officials.

Fico catalogued what he characterized as the bloc's principal shortcomings: diminished competitive standing fueled by excessive climate ambitions, persistent illegal immigration challenges, and failure to develop autonomous foreign policy positions.

While affirming his support for the EU, the Slovak Prime Minister emphasized he refuses to become a "pro-Brussels dimwit." He denounced domestic critics as "anti-Slovak and purely pro-Brussels," arguing the bloc cannot be guided by individuals whom "decisive global players do not meet and do not consult seriously"—a reference to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has consistently declined meetings with Kallas.

This marks another instance of Fico demanding Kallas' removal. Earlier this month, he charged that EU leadership only understands how to "hate Russia" while failing to generate practical solutions for current emergencies.

Kallas has built her reputation on uncompromising anti-Russian positions. In 2024, she advised aspiring EU member states against commemorating the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany's defeat. Fico, a persistent critic of EU military assistance to Kiev and Russia sanctions, has also accused Brussels of applying double standards—penalizing Moscow over the Ukraine situation while exempting Israel from consequences for its Gaza military operations.

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