He joined a political party immediately upon becoming of age, and now, at twenty- four, he is the youngest member of the Slovak National Council. But when you talk with Michal Bartek, you feel like you’re conversing with a political matador.
You are a member of a special committee within the National Council for the supervision of the National Security Agency, an international committee, and also the committee for defense and security. Why those three?
Sir, I think that the safety of citizens should be one of the priorities for any politician in their country, and I’m honored to be a member of the defense- security committee. When it comes to my involvement in the committee for international politics, the topics related to that were largely a part of the pre- election campaign in Slovakia, because under Matovič’s, Heger’s or the installed progressive Mr Ödor‘s leadership, our republic was more western than the West, and these governments clearly forgot which citizens they should serve - because they certainly weren’t the Slovak people. And so I’m really glad that the new government’s program statement clearly includes that our national interests must be at the center of attention even when making decisions on an international scale, while not questioning our membership in the European Union or NATO. But that doesn’t mean we must automatically agree with everything coming at us from these institutions. The interests of Slovakia and the Slovak people are number one with us, and that’s where our confident international politics stems from.
Looking away from the committees, what would you like to engage in the most in the parliament?
I might surprise you a bit, but looking past the fact that I’m the youngest member of the current parliament, I also hold the post of the Deputy Governor of the Trenčín self-governing region. You see, I can’t save the entire republic as just one lone member of the parliament, but I know that I can roll up my sleeves and actually change life for the better in my native region, all the while combining these two posts really enables me to move things forward. Regional development and the quality of the life of our citizens in every single region - that is the agenda I am interested in on a long-term basis. And of course since I proudly proclaim myself a social democrat, I place great importance on improving a social state which will protect the weak or the ill, support our families and our youth at the start of their lives, and will enable our seniors to spend the winter of their lives in an active and exceptional manner.
What do you think Slovakia needs the most right now?
At the risk of sounding cliche, I will use the campaign narrative from the presidential election of our leader Peter Pellegrini to help with my answer: “Slovakia needs peace, at long last.” Our big little nation has had enough polarization, the endless stirring up of our society in the style of politics against something or someone, and not for something, led Slovakia into a mess we’re now slowly getting up from. If we stay united, we can make it through the hardest of times, and have a bright future ahead of us.
Looking from afar, I feel like the result of last year’s elections split Slovakia into two irreconcilable parts. Some are fans of Prime Minister Fico, some hate him. Some are fans of Danek’s SNS party, some can’t even stand to hear the name, and so on...
See, this question of yours confirmed that my previous answer was correct. I don’t want to be the kind of politician to try and convince people that he’s got one magical solution to everything, but I’m convinced that if we finally changed Slovakia’s election system so that each region had its representative in the National Council, that endless polarization would be over, and we would chase out all those know-it-alls who, aside from posting videos on social media, can’t really do anything beneficial for our republic or the people in our regions, as we witnessed during the three and a half years of the reign of terror of Matovič and his lackeys.
Slovakia is expecting a presidential election. Is it creating any sort of tension in the coalition?
I can guarantee that our coalition is stable, despite the liberal media trying to paint a picture of some sort of a split, which is nonsense. The government is viable, capable of delivering on its pre-election promises, and fulfilling its program statements. The presidential election changes nothing in that aspect. In the words of a classic: “It doesn’t matter if the cat is black or white, it matters whether it can catch mice.”
You are the youngest MP, and also the youngest regional Deputy Governor. Do any of these seasoned politicians ever call you a youngling with no experience?
It might sound funny, but I joined a political party the day after my 18th birthday, and started getting involved at the regional level the second I had the chance, which I still do, to learn from the people who have been in charge of our cities, municipalities or our regions for years and years. Before entering the parliament, I spent four years as an assistant to a member of the National Council, meanwhile becoming the Deputy Governor of the Trenčín self-governing region. I mean to say I didn’t enter the parliament as some sort of an activist with no basic political knowledge. Simply put, I mean to learn a lot from my older and more experienced colleagues, and then use my young legs to carry me places that will benefit the Slovak people. After all, serving your nation is a never-ending process and I’m not some cocky guy incapable of taking advice.
What was it that led you to politics at such a young age? Was it a topic of discussion at home? And what attracted you to the HLAS-SD party?
I come from a family like any other in Slovakia. My mother is a nurse, and my father worked in ventilation, later starting a small business of his own. The values they instilled in me from a young age naturally shaped me, and the basic pillars of the HLAS party - the social, national, anti-fascist and integrational ones - are all in accord with my personal values, and that’s how we build our politics. Of course I’m grateful that despite my young age, the party allowed me to fight for the trust of the citizens, which got me into the parliament.
Do you want to spend your life in professional politics?
Politics is astonishing in that once you betray your calling, the citizens hold you accountable. That’s why the trust of the Slovak people is the most important thing for me, and for as long as I feel that, I will fight for our citizens until my last breath.
You took the parliamentary oath wearing a Myjava folk costume. Do you honor traditions this much?
In my case, taking the oath in a folk costume wasn’t some cheap sham. I’ve worn the costume proudly and with love since I was little, thanks to my Grandmother from Morava (I’ve got Moravian roots on my father’s side), and moreover, the folk costume was symbolic, because it was a callback to Myjava. That’s where the foundation stones of Slovak parliamentarism were once set, when the first Slovak National Council met in 1848 in Myjava, headed by Jozef Miloslav Hurban, Ĺudovít Štúr and Michal Miloslav Hodža.
CV BOX
Michal Bartek (born on the 16th of August 1999) is a member of the National Council of the Slovak republic, and Deputy Governor of the Self-Governing Region of Trenčín.
Before entering the National Council, he worked as an assistant to the MP Peter Kmec.
He’s lived his whole life in Nové Mesto nad Váhom in the Podjavorina region.
He has a son Matias with his partner, and as he likes to note: “He‘s got one year, two months and four teeth so far.”
He likes to jog, and can't say no to a good book, to which he adds: “If it comes with a side of a good bottle of red wine or plum brandy, it‘s a plus.”
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