Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (R) and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán attend the ceremony to celebrate the 130th anniversary of the Mária Valéria Bridge that connects the Slovak town of Štúrovo with the Hungarian town of Esztergom on September 28, 2025.
Attila Kisbenedek / AFP
The Slovak prime minister said he agrees with Viktor Orbán that the only solution to external attacks is national sovereignty.
Speaking alongside Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán on Sunday, September 28th, at the 130th anniversary of the inauguration of the Mária Valéria Bridge that connects Hungary and Slovakia between the towns of Esztergom and Štúrovo (Párkány), Slovak prime minister Robert Fico stated that he wants to build Slovakia in the same way Viktor Orbán builds Hungary.
The PM highlighted that the Mária Valéria Bridge is not just a piece of metal but a symbol of the connection between two peoples. He stressed that the joint celebration is a particularly meaningful occasion, given the amount of lies and hatred with which “our opponents attack us,” who would like to see disputes between the Slovak and Hungarian prime ministers.
Robert Fico said he agrees with Orbán that the only solution to external attacks is national sovereignty, which should guide the daily work of politicians who want to serve their nation.
Fico also recalled the recent amendment to the Slovak constitution, which now defines marriage as a union between a man and a woman, “because this is normal.” He stressed that the most important provision in Slovakia’s constitution is that in ethical, moral, and national matters, national law takes precedence over international law.
Turning to another issue of sovereignty, secure energy supply, he stressed that no one can dictate to a country where it sources its oil or natural gas declaring that he shares the Hungarian PM’s view that the political and ideological plan to completely cut off from Russian oil and gas will harm not only Slovakia and Hungary but all of Europe.
Fico praised Orbán for his management of illegal migration, noting that Brussels attacks and humiliates him instead of appreciating his efforts. On the war in Ukraine, he said that there are only two prime ministers in the European Union who speak about peace, “and one of them is definitely Viktor Orbán.”
“This is my third time giving a speech at this bridge,” the Hungarian prime minister noted in his remarks, “but never before could I stand here with Robert Fico,” he added, calling his Slovak counterpart “unyielding and indestructible,” with a unique ability to restore order in Slovak politics. Orbán also congratulated Fico on the recent constitutional amendments.
🇭🇺🤝🇸🇰 A pleasure to celebrate the 130th anniversary of the Mária Valéria Bridge with @RobertFicoSVK. Twice destroyed in the world wars and twice rebuilt, this bridge stands as a living symbol of our shared strength and resilience. Today, in the face of illegal migration, woke… pic.twitter.com/FPkAGzHcne
The Hungarian premier then sharply criticized European politics, claiming that just as old empires once led nations into war, “Brussels has now become a war project.” He warned that the EU’s approach risks repeating the past’s catastrophic errors. “We Hungarians don’t want this, and yet they want to force us into it.”
The Hungarian prime minister also made reference to political destabilization efforts in Central Europe, highlighting the emergence of political violence, not only against governments but also against citizens and clergy, asserting that “they are all Brussels’ people” posing as domestic political opposition.
Ildikó Bíró is an editor at europeanconservative.com. She obtained her MAs in Italian and English language and literature and a postgraduate degree in media and journalism from ELTE University in Budapest, and has worked for higher educational institutions, NGOs, government agencies and media outlets as an educator, analyst and copy editor.
