Slovakia has completed the first stage of its new voluntary military training course, but while military experts are praising the exercises, critics are accusing politicians like President Peter Pellegrini of turning them into a PR stunt.
A new 14-day National Defence Forces (NDF) programme launched in July is part of Slovakia’s efforts to rebuild long-neglected reserves. The programme is open to participants aged 18 to 55 and offers them €1,500 and potential opportunities for further training or work in emergency services.
To push the idea, Pellegrini and Defense Minister Robert Kaliniak joined the first round on July 10. But photos of the pair in camouflage and fighting poses quickly drew ridicule online. Far-right coalition leader Andrej Danko mocked Pellegrini and called on him to “stop fooling around and go home.”
Despite its seeming glitz, defense experts support the program. “Although it is now more of a celebrity show than real, meaningful military training, it is good that it has drawn attention to the issue of reserves,” retired General Pavel Macko told Denník N , noting that Slovakia currently has only 100-150 active reservists – far short of the “tens of thousands” needed.
Lucia Jahr, a Slovak defence expert and MEP for the liberal Renew group, welcomed the programme, noting that Slovakia is one of the last NATO countries on the eastern flank that does not have a voluntary training programme.
However, she criticized the involvement of government officials who have previously undermined defense initiatives, calling it the program’s most serious shortcoming.
Pacifists turned into soldiers?
Pellegrini and Kaliniak avoided compulsory military service until it was abolished in 2006 and long had a reputation as pacifists.
During the 2024 elections, Pellegrini positioned himself as the “president of peace” and sought to portray his liberal rival Ivan Korčok as a warmonger who would send Slovak troops into Ukraine.
For his part, Kalinyak has previously argued that resisting the invasion is futile, citing the Soviet occupation of 1968. “If our parents had resisted, many of us would not be here today,” he said, adding that “the Russians always leave sooner or later.”
Even Richard Gluck, chairman of the parliamentary defence committee and a participant in the exercise, once signed a declaration refusing to defend Slovakia with weapons in hand.
“Unsuccessful and counterproductive”
Yar and others also questioned the wisdom of training senior officials alongside rank-and-file recruits.
“Government politicians who either helped create the programme or are currently involved in it are damaging its reputation and scaring off potential applicants. This is unfortunate and counterproductive,” Jár told Euractiv Slovakia.
Other experts also questioned the decision to have the defense minister and president train with the recruits, noting that one of them leads the armed forces and the other is their commander-in-chief.
Meanwhile, the course itself has also been criticized for being too short to provide serious training. The possibility of continuing the training also remains unclear, as the Defense Ministry has not yet announced the dates and locations for the next stages, Yar noted.
(de)
Source: Source