Four years ago, Erik Kaliňák first ran for the Slovak National Council. He was unsuccessful that time. Three years ago, he became the vice-chair of the SMER-SD party, and a year ago, he finally attained a seat in the National Council. This year, he left to join the parliament in Brussels.
You‘ve only been in the European Parliament for a few months, how do you feel there?
I am currently trying to manage the competencies and tasks of this body to the best of my ability, both the “offcial” ones and those “in the corridors.” Personally, I like working, but I don’t like pretending to work, and so far, I’ve been surprised at how many people in the European Parliament enjoy pretending to work. Of course, I’m just starting out, and undoubtedly, there will be moments that will convince me of the meaningfulness of this institution, but for now, I'm watching the events and debates with my eyebrows raised, asking myself: “Am I missing something, or…?”
What ideals and also real expectations did you have when you ran for a post Brussels? What will be the main thing you thight for?
I ran, on the one hand, to be an extension of Robert Fico’s government, to promote our views, our worldview, and above all, Slovakia’s interests. On the other hand, I wanted to be, so to speak, “at the source” of all the regulations and directives that are increasingly affecting the lives of citizens, but especially the governance and decision-making of politicians at the national level. While within the member states, the progressive ideology often struggles to gain traction, in Brussels, it absolutely dominates and expands into areas beyond its competence. This is where I see my role - resisting in Brussels and giving timely warning at home.
Has anything else in Brussels surprised you?
Yes, the absolute lack of argumentation. Debates, whether it was during the election of the European Commission’s president or the current discussion about the “threat” to Schengen due to Hungary granting work visas to Russian and Belarusian citizens, were carried out with a frightening level of generality and vagueness. When, after an hour of emotional outpouring, I asked the Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ms. Johansson, what exactly she saw as the risk or shortcoming in the standard checks for obtaining work visas, her response was simply, “Well, they’re Russians!” Even more absurd to me was the response of the victorious EPP group. When asked to postpone the vote on Ursula von der Leyen, given the court decision that the European Commission broke the law by not allowing the European Parliament to review the billion-euro vaccine contracts with Pfizer, their response was that we shouldn’t unnecessarily mix court decisions with politics because they just wanted to get to voting already. Absurd.
Which group did Slovak MEPs join or are planniong to join?
Currently, SMER-SD (5) and Hlas-SD MEPs are acting independently, but are collaborating closely with several left- wing delegations from other member states. I'm not ruling out that in the future, a new left-wing national group might emerge, serving as a more peaceful and conservative counterbalance to the progressive S&D group. Paradoxically, the fact that we are currently independent and at the same time the largest “delegation” means we are much more vocal in the parliament today.
How do you feel about the ongoing war in Ukraine? Is there a chance that Zelenskyy and Putin will sit down at the negotiating table?
That is not a matter of possibility but of necessity. This conflict has no military solution, and as Vice President Josep Borrell’s words suggest, even the European Commission is starting to realize this. This conflict won’t end any other way than at the negotiating table, and when that time comes, know that besides Zelenskyy and Putin, the U.S. president will also undoubtedly be at that table. The upcoming presidential election in the U.S. will be a major deciding factor in whether the main participants in this conflict will start negotiating this year or whether the current strategy of “to the last Ukrainian” will continue.
What are the most significant things going on in Slovakia right now?
In the economic sector, the Slovak government is fully focused on restoring a growing trend in the standard of living and bringing us back closer to the European average. In the first year of governance, huge reforms were made in public procurement, state investments, EU funding, and building permits. In Slovakia, things need to start moving - that was our pre-election promise, and we approach state investment support, foreign visits, and economic diplomacy accordingly. Of course, all of this is being done while consolidating the catastrophic state of public finances left behind by three completely inept governments over the span of three years.
In Brussels, you also meet with Czech MEPs Do you share views and goals with some of them?
Of course, in the European Parliament, we naturally cooperate on various issues with the Patriots for Europe faction. On issues of federalization, the Green Deal, or the slow advancement of progressive ideology, I’m ideologically closest to Filip Turek. On left-wing and social issues, I’m closer to Kateřina Konečná.
Have the different policies of our governments disrupted the relations between Czechs and Slovaks?
I belong to the generation that grew up with children’s TV shows dubbed in Czech, so I don’t feel any language barrier, but rather a natural, almost fraternal relationship. Unfortunately, in politics, it has become standard that when a politician isn’t doing well at home, they often try to cover it up with activities abroad. But I am convinced that in terms of the longevity of our mutual relations, Mr. Fiala’s escapades are just a humorous blip.
Do you visit Czechia often?
Of course, often and regularly. During the 80th anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising, I was at a wedding near Znojmo, in the village of Kravsko, which I naturally took as an opportunity to have a pleasant walk through Znojmo. The town made a very good impression on me, as did most of the places I’ve had the chance to visit in Czechia.
FREE TIME
When Erik has some free time, he often spends it playing sports. “I enjoy any team sports, but mostly floorball,” he says. He also admits that he enjoys playing video games. “Sometimes, when the situation allows, games like PubG, the Souls series, LoL, RL, NHL, or FIFA. I‘m also big on music, TV series, online content, and good food. My favorite book is the infamous ‚five-part trilogy’ The Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. And if you asked me about my favorite quote, it’s the one by Oscar Wilde: „Life is too important to be taken seriously.‘”
CV BOX
Erik Kaliňák (born September 9, 1991, in Bratislava) is an MEP for SMER-SD.
He graduated in philosophy from the Comenius University Bratislava Faculty of Philosophy.
He joined the party in 2018 as a creative manager, working his way up from managing social media accounts through creating communications content all the way to political functions. He has held the position of the party‘s vice-chair since July 2021.
In 2020, he ran for the Slovak NC for the first time, sitting in 150th place on the ticket at the time. He only got elected in last year’s election, in which he ran from 6th place and gained over 145 thousand preferential votes. He was a member of the Slovak NC until June this year, when he found success in the European Parliament election.
Kaliňák is married and lives in Bratislava.
