Hungary’s regional standing after the Slovak election

A left-wing commentator thinks that after the election of the liberal Zuzana Čaputová as Slovak President, Hungary will become increasingly isolated.

In Népszava, János Kárpáti thinks that the Slovak Presidential election will have important implications for the Visegrad cooperation. The left-wing columnist recalls that Hungarians often look down on Slovakia and regard their country as less developed. Kárpáti, however, believes that the election of the liberal and pro-EU Zuzana Čaputová shows that Slovakia is more progressive than Hungary. He ponders what consequences the Slovak Presidential election result will have on cooperation within the Visegrad group. He predicts that Hungary and Poland will become increasingly alienated from the other two countries. Neither the Czech Republic nor Slovakia will follow Hungary’s and Poland’s anti-immigrant and anti-Brussels politics, he predicts. Kárpáti adds that the Polish government may also distance itself from Prime Minister Orbán, if Hungary continues to strengthen its ties with Russia.

Tags: foreign affairs, Slovakia, Visegrád 4