NEWS

Beata Balogová, editor-in-chief of SME, a major daily and news site in Slovakia, delivered the 2021 Czech and Slovak Freedom Lecture on November 17, 2021. Her lecture, presented virtually from Bratislava due to covid-19 travel restrictions, was entitled “How Journalists Survived Backsliding and State Capture.” Her talk combined a history of threats to press freedoms during the Mečiar and Fico years in Slovakia, a personal account of her decision to become a journalist, and a warning that democratic institutions are again under attack in Central Europe.

The 2019 election of Zuzana Čaputová as the first female president of the Slovak Republic brought increased visibility to the country, especially in the realm of foreign policy. While there is still room for greater participation, a growing number of women in Slovakia now occupy senior positions in influencing, planning, and conducting Slovakia’s foreign relations. […]

A delegation of Friends of Slovakia Board Members led by chairman Scott N. Thayer traveled to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to participate in events celebrating the 25th anniversary of the building dedication of the National Czech and Slovak Museum and Library (NCSML).

Friends of Slovakia co-sponsored a webinar in collaboration with the Slovak American Society of Washington DC (SASW) featuring Professors Kevin Deegan-Krause and Tim Haughton who discussed their recently published co-authored book, The New Party Challenge: Changing Cycles of Party Birth and Death in Central Europe in which they examined the emergence of new parties and […]

FOS is thrilled to announce the launch of an exciting new program that aims to foster understanding, engagement, and friendship between university students from the United States and Slovakia. This unique initiative has been developed by the FOS Student Exchange Committee led by Dr. Elizabeth Guran (committee chair), and supported by other committee members including […]

FOS Board of Advisors member and Senior Fellow at the German Marshall Fund, Dr. Pavol Demeš gave the Annual Thomas Kukucka Lecture at the University of Pittsburgh as a part of the  Slovak Studies Program.

The 2019 election of Zuzana Čaputová as the first female president of Slovakia brought increased visibility to the country, especially in the realm of foreign policy. While there is still room for greater participation, a growing number of women in Slovakia now occupy senior positions in influencing, planning, and conducting Slovakia’s foreign relations. Friends of […]

As we look back on our journey, we want to celebrate FOS’s achievements over the past 20 years. Let us seize new opportunities while fostering lasting memories and renewed enthusiasm to champion the partnership between the United States and Slovakia for decades to come. Related post & events:

A webinar to examine Slovakia’s post-election shifts in party relations in both the government and opposition, the role of President Zuzana Čaputová, the influence of extremist and anti-system parties, and the impact of the continuing Covid-19 pandemic

The German Marshall Fund of the United States and the Embassy of Slovakia to the United States hosted a conversation with Karen Donfried, President of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, and Ivan Korčok, foreign minister of the Republic of Slovakia, on Slovakia’s emerging leading voice in Europe, including in the European Union […]