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“Slovakia deserves a modern social democracy, the voice of which will defend the poor, the weak, the hard workers, as well as our senior citizens, young families, and those socially dependent. I trust in this vision and will fulfill it diligently,” says Michal Moško, member of the National Council for the HLAS-social democracy party.
In autumn, HLAS-SD became a part of the government, and you a member of the National Council. How would you characterize your government?
Simply put - it’s a government that puts solving the problems and needs of common Slovak people first, and the same goes for its foreign politics, where its main concerns are our national interests.
What do you think was the deciding factor in the outcome of last year’s election?
That kind of plays into the question before this one. Over the past three years, Slovakia’s focus was much more towards issues concerning foreign affairs, and the common issues of our citizens were secondary, which I consider a huge mistake that broke the back of Igor Matovič’s or Eduard Heger’s governments. That, and also the highly incompetent management of the country and the attempts to lock up all of the previous opposition’s representatives without any real legal basis, were all important factors in the shift in the government after the latest parliamentary election.
It’s still a bit too early for results, but has the government started fulfilling the promises it gave to its voters?
It is to our great advantage that the leadership of our country consists of, no exaggeration, some really experienced troopers, be it Prime Minister Robert Fico, or Speaker Peter Pellegrini. This high quality leadership made it so that hard work began on day one of the new government being formed, and the really important pre-election promises, such as the thirteenth pension, help with energy prices or with the rising interest rates of mortgages, were all delivered on. I also mustn’t forget the significant funding of self-governing regions, which arrived at the eleventh hour, because these regions truly were left bleeding after the carelessness of the former governments.
What essential points does the Slovak political leadership yet want to fulfill?
A revolution in the withdrawals of European funding, a change to public procurements, or a change to the Construction Act - these topics are our immediate priorities and were they to be fulfilled, they would be an immense help to Slovakia and its citizens.
What were the personal priorities you yourself entered the National Council with?
One of them is definitely the support of sports, and I’m glad that it was also thanks to my vote that the Department of Tourism and Sports was developed in the parliament on the 1st of February - this will significantly improve the Slovak sporting society, and the preparations of our talents across different branches. And since I am a social democrat, I also consider it immensely important to maintain what the socialist state attained, because the people truly have suffered enough these past few years, and the state must let it show that it’s right here and prepared to help.
There’s a lot of discourse in the Czech republic about adopting the Euro. You’ve already been through that experience. Has the Euro improved life in Slovakia?
You see, the question of adopting the Euro is a very difficult one, and an important factor in answering it is the economic situation which we evaluate our issue in. Sometimes you see undeniable advantages, other times you’re staunchly against. The Euro was definitely a boon for Slovakia, but in my humble opinion, the same doesn’t necessarily have to be true for the Czech republic, since there are great differences between our two economies. This topic is a thoroughly specialized one, and I myself would leave any further expansions of it to the professionals.
With the Slovak Minister of the Interior Matúš Šutaj Eštok, and the member of the National Council and governor of the Trenčín region Jaroslav Baška.
How do you feel about the war in Ukraine?
I feel sorry for every single victim, be they Ukrainian or Russian. I’ve made it very clear who the aggressor is (Russia) and who the victim (Ukraine), but I’d also like to make it very clear that the roots of this conflict are buried all the way back in 2014, when the anti-government Maidan uprising overthrew the legitimately elected president of Ukraine. I’m glad that Slovakia, helmed by its new government, keeps calling for peace talks on the international scale, and keeps helping Ukraine in humanitarian ways, but there will be no more military aid sent their way. If the fighting continues, nothing will change, except for the miserable statistics of death. That’s why the entire world should put pressure on both sides involved to sit down at one table and speak about peace.
And what about the European Union? What do you think is its biggest issue?
It is said that there’s too much of a good thing, as evidenced by the Green Deal, which has only been cutting down the EU’s competitiveness on the worldwide scale so far. I don’t take the topic of the green transformation lightly, nor will I close my eyes and pretend I don’t see it, but the EU should really be approaching it much more rationally.
Slovakia is expecting a presidential election this year. What president would you wish for?
One who will finally bring peace to Slovakia. This past decade, we witnessed the government at the Presidential palace at near-permanent odds, and Slovakia grew weaker for it. We are a small country, and must pull together. A president who would be able to guarantee that is, in my eyes, Peter Pellegrini, because he’s capable of bringing peace, knows perfectly the problematics of life in every single region of Slovakia, and will represent the country in a distinguished manner abroad as well.
You’re also a member of the Trenčín city council. What’s new in your city?
I’ve been a city councilor in Trenčín for two election periods, and this comes with a broad selection of issues - from fixing pavements, all the way to large- scale projects that cost millions of Euro. An issue I also consider important is the title of European Capitals of Culture, that capital for the year 2026 being our Trenčín, and this end goal has jumpstarted a truly massive amount of processes, which should positively impact life in the region for years to come. Simply put, it’s a challenge which doesn’t come by every day.
FAMILY AND HOCKEY
Were you to ask Michal Moško about his hobbies, or what brings him the most joy, he would put his family first. “My most precious treasure are my two daughters Máša and Nataša, who make me very happy. Máša is a 17-year-old ice skater, and a graduate of a sports school. 10-year-old Nataša attends primary school, and in her free time she enjoys modern dance and football,” he says with pride. His other love is hockey, he has been among the most ardent fans of the Dukla Trenčín team for many years. “I might not make some of your older hockey-loving readers very happy, especially those who can still recall the times of the federal hockey league. I like to recall those good old times of faded Dukla fame, when they beat Škoda Plzeň 3:1 in games won during the federal finale of the 1991/1992 season.
CV BOX
Michal Moško (born on the 5th of September 1973) is a member of the National Council of Slovakia, and member of the Trenčín city council.
He graduated from the College of International Relations, and gained the title of Master of Business at the Dubnice Technological Institute.
He worked in different companies (Mövenpick Hotel, Keraming, Merkantil...), was also the regional director of the VZP health insurance company, and the owner of several businesses.
Since 2018, he‘s been a member of the Trenčín city council, and a member of the National Council of Slovakia since last autumn‘s parliamentary election.
He has two daughters, and is a big sports fan, mainly hockey.
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