Thirty-four years ago, Ján Figeľ was at the birth of the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH). He was also its chairman, served as a minister, and worked as a European commissioner. Although he did not get into the European Parliament this year, his workload has not decreased. We caught up with him while he was in the Netherlands on business.
What are you currently working on?
Various complementary activities, predominantly in the field of innovation and regional development centers. At the moment, I am in Eindhoven in the Netherlands, where a meeting of the EIT (European Institute of Innovation and Technology) Governing Board, of which I am a member, is taking place. I became a design engineer after graduatingfrom the Technical University in Košice and got into innovation as a European commissioner. In 2006, President of the European Commission Barroso asked me to establish an “MIT in Europe”, similar to the one in the USA. Two years and a lot of strenuous effort later, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology was established. With over 2,400 partners, it has become the largest innovation ecosystem on the continent and in the world in 15 years. The partners include universities, research centers, and businesses grouped into nine so-called Knowledge and Innovation Communities. They focus on strategic topics like energy, climate change, digitization, health, food, urban mobility, raw materials, manufacturing processes, and culture. In the international environment, I continue to focus on sensitive topics. One is the protection of religious freedom, which is under enormous pressure and assault in many parts of the world. I was the first actively serving EU special representative for this agenda around the world. The second is moderating the dialog and next steps within the peace initiative concerning the relations between the West and the East with the aim of stopping the tragic war in Ukraine.
You ran for the European Parliament in this year‘s election, but your colleague Miriam Lexmann ultimately got in. How do you perceive the election, and what would you wish your colleague?
The election in Slovakia turned out opposite to those in many Western countries, for example, in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy. I wish Miriam, in her role as MEP, much wisdom, courage, and perseverance in promoting and defending the aforementioned values and actively working for justice and the common good. She will be the only voice in the EP for the KDH but as part of the strongest faction. This multiplies her responsibility.
With son Adam Jan at the Robert Schuman Museum in Scy-Chazelles, France (2023).
You worked in the Union for many years as a European commissioner for education and training…
I was the chief negotiator for Slovakia‘s accession to the EU since 1998. I personally negotiated with representatives of European institutions numerous times from the very beginning. On May 1, 2004, the status of the entire Central European region changed. We joined the EU in what I believe was the best possible scenario – all the candidates on the same day. My life also changed; I became the first Slovak European commissioner. Initially in the Prodi Commission and then in the Barroso Commission. I started with the agenda of entrepreneurship and the information society. I continued with the agenda of education, vocational training, culture, and youth. I feel that one of the most significant results of my tenure until 2009 is the launch of the excellent global tool for university mobility and cooperation – the Erasmus Mundus program in 2004. An even more significant contribution was the establishment of the EIT in 2008 to support European competitiveness through targeted innovation development. As I mentioned, the EIT has become the largest innovation ecosystem in the world.
How does the EU view education and upbringing? How do you feel about “modern gender”?
A good education system brings together the accessibility and quality of primary and secondary education in a singular goal and criterion. Today, the need for lifelong learning is added to the mix. Besides learning, forming one‘s personality and opinions, this process also includes the transmission of values and culture. Christianity, which built upon Old Testament Judaism, differentiated and heavily influenced our civilization. Besides founding the first universities, hospitals, and orphanages, it influenced the concept of family based on the marriage of a man and a woman. This is the natural and fundamental unit of society and deserves support from society and the state. International law also views it the same way. Here, in the unity and complementary nature of spouses, lies not only the principle of monogamy but also the equality of man and woman, their inalienable dignity. Gender ideology relativizes the value and uniqueness of marriage, redefining human identity. Every ideology is a departure from reality, from truth and natural laws, towards desire, illusion, or utopia. In the name of a new kind of human, a better society, greater freedom. However, the result is always the opposite, inevitably. Because truth sets us free, without it we live in deception. And thus in oppression. Freedom is the beautiful daughter of a wise and brave mother – truth. Departure from basic values therefore does not lead to happiness or greater freedom. It brings polarization, conflicts, even disintegration into society. Therefore, the state should not be bound to ideology or religion but to proven values and respect for fundamental human rights. It was Confucius who warned that when the meaning of words changes, human freedom is threatened. This was the reason why, ten years ago, as chairman of the KDH, I initiated the enshrinement of the definition, protection, and support of marriage as a unique union between a man and a woman in the Slovak constitution. Robert Fico and his party supported it the second time around after we agreed on certain changes in the judiciary.
Receiving an honorary degree (Dr.h.c.) from HJ International Graduate School for Peace and Public Leadership President Thomas Walsh.
How do you feel about current international relations?
I expected that in the 21st century we would have more peace and humanity. Unfortunately, starting with the rise of international terrorism and the attack on the USA through numerous conflicts, religious persecution, even genocide, we have once again arrived at war in Europe and the Middle East. And the escalation of both wars on the doorstep of the EU, in our neighborhood, continues. The results are the destruction of lives and territory, refugees, and hatred. Three European wars in the last century grew into world wars – the First and Second World Wars and then the Cold War. If we do not find a peaceful solution, a large-scale war cannot be ruled out. That would be a transition from tragedy to catastrophe. For two years now, I have been working as a moderator and negotiator in a private initiative meant to foster dialog and align the interests of the USA and Russia. The Vatican is one of its supporters. The first meeting of representatives from Washington and Moscow took place in the Vatican in April, and we are currently preparing another. If confrontation between the East and the West turns into cooperation through dialog and the alignment of interests on specific projects, peace will have a real chance and a long- term perspective. Schuman‘s peace plan for Europe as a whole was sadly not fully realized, but its principles are timeless.
And how do you see the relations between Czechs and Slovaks?
Czecho-Slovak relations are extraordinary and exemplary not only within the region but also around the world. In Europe, as well as in Australia or Canada, as a diplomat and politician, I got asked about the recipe for the peaceful division of the federation. I always replied that the process was unique due to the culture and common interests focused on important goals. The goal being the Velvet Revolution and then the velvet divorce with the aim of a gentle reintegration into a united Europe, which happened on the same day under the same or comparable conditions. The result is a stronger position of two fraternal nations seated at one European table, where we have two chairs and two stars. Although our coexistence was not without its issues, Czecho-Slovak mutuality prevailed during all the critical periods. And it can still be seen when championships in ice hockey or football are played.
In a discussion with the Tibetan Dalai Lama in Brussels eight years ago.
INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS AND DIPLOMACY
Ján Figeľ describes diplomacy as a complex concept, primarily combining the professional representation of the state abroad, communication, negotiations, mastering protocol, ethics and etiquette, and knowledge of the history of countries and international relations. “The language of diplomacy is international law. Some things can be learned in theory, but practice is the real foundation,” he says. “When I was a university lecturer, I was also the state secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the chief negotiator in the Slovak Republic‘s accession process to the EU. It was a historically unique and very demanding period. It is documented in authentic documents and books for future generations (www.janfigel. Sk/publikacie). But I felt an extraordinary level of interest from students about precisely that practical experience from active European politics. At that time, Slovak diplomacy was the vanguard of other government departments. The leadership of the MFA under Eduard Kukan was stable, and foreign policy relied on political and social consensus.”
