"We can only emerge from the deep crisis in which the EU finds itself with new leadership and new ideas. Three things are holding us back: we cannot compete with China or the global south because of our excessive climate goals. We are unable to manage illegal migration, where US President Donald Trump should be our role model with his uncompromising stance on illegal migrants. And we lack the courage to express our own opinion on fundamental foreign policy issues," said Fico.
He did not comment on the mental state of the US president.
What Trump said to Fico
The Slovak prime minister reportedly made his comments at a separate informal meeting between some EU leaders and senior officials, rather than during formal roundtable discussions. Although the diplomats in question were not personally present, Fico's comments were reportedly relayed to them by individual leaders.
Four sources from the Brussels-based Politico portal come from four different EU governments, while the fifth is a high-ranking EU official. All of them stated that they did not know the details of what Trump said to Fico.
The Slovak government did not respond to repeated requests from the media for comment.
"This is completely false reporting from anonymous European diplomats trying to be relevant. The meeting at Mar-a-Lago was positive and productive," said White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly.
A senior EU official who was at the meeting with Trump and Fico said he did not recall any awkward moments or inappropriate exchanges. He said the atmosphere was relaxed and there were even a few light-hearted remarks, which were captured by a White House photographer.
However, one European diplomat said that Fico seemed "traumatized" by the meeting with Trump and described him as a man who was "out of his mind."
The prime minister's reaction
On Wednesday, Fico described Politico as a "hateful pro-Brussels liberal portal" and rejected the alleged claims about Trump's inappropriate mental state.
"No one heard anything, no one saw anything, there are no witnesses, but nothing prevented Politico from coming up with lies. It is well known that I am one of the favorites of this portal, where sovereignty, the fight for national interests, and one's own opinion are considered a crime," he said.
He added that he did not speak at the informal summit and did not discuss a visit across the pond with any prime minister or president.
"I agree with many of the US president's strategies, but not with some. I honestly expected that after my sharp statement on Venezuela, my visit to the US would be canceled. That did not happen, which makes me appreciate the meeting with the US president all the more," the prime minister emphasized.
According to him, the media's goal is to destroy the constructive relationships that Slovakia maintains with all four corners of the world. "This also affects the Slovak Republic's interest in diversifying its peaceful nuclear program and cooperating with the US," he said.
Phone call to Merz and criticism of the EU
The day after the talks in Florida, the Slovak Prime Minister released a video without sound. It was supposed to be a recording of his phone call with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.
He noted that he mainly discussed his long conversation with Trump and Rubio. He reiterated that world leaders do not take the EU entirely seriously and suggested several solutions to the German politician in this regard.
Regarding the US president, he only stated in the article that "he is clearly pursuing the national interests of the US."
Meeting with Macron
At a press conference on Tuesday, Fico said that he would meet with French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday. He repeatedly refused to specify what they would discuss. He only mentioned the war in Ukraine as a topic, saying that European leaders are increasingly listening to Slovakia because "our words are coming true."
He refused to respond to a journalist's question about whether he was traveling to Paris because he was frightened by his meeting with Trump, as his coalition partner Andrej Danko (SNS) stated in Saturday's Dialogues.
"I haven't said a single word to Andrej Danko about my visit to the United States," the prime minister noted. He also did not comment on whether the meeting was called "hastily."
Fico publicly said otherwise
After the meeting in Florida, Robert Fico said that he considered the reception at the private residence a sign of trust and respect. He described the conversation with Donald Trump as informal and open.
According to him, the discussion focused mainly on international issues, especially the development of the war in Ukraine. Washington reportedly wanted to hear Slovakia's opinion because it is "not a Brussels parrot" – that is, it does not repeat the positions of EU institutions. The Prime Minister emphasized the need for peaceful solutions and diplomacy over military action.
The talks also covered the situation in the European Union, including its competitiveness, energy, and migration policies. Fico said there was agreement on the assessment of the EU, describing it as an institution in deep crisis.
(est, politico)
