NEWS

Friends of Slovakia hosted an invitation-only discussion with Doc. Michal Vašečka, PhD. and Rasťo Kužel, independent analysts from Slovakia, on the snap parliamentary elections scheduled in Slovakia on September 30, 2023. They discussed the latest developments in domestic politics, possible scenarios for a new coalition government, impact on Transatlantic relations, and how foreign interference plays […]

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 […]

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 recent Slovak parliamentary election results and prospects for Igor Matovic’s new government were examined in an April 28 webinar co-sponsored by FOS and the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF), “Slovakia: New Government, New Challenges.” Jonathan Katz, Senior Fellow with GMF, moderated the panel. Summary Dr. Kevin Deegan-Krause of Wayne State University […]

On July 11, 2019 members of the Friends of Slovakia (FOS) Executive Committee met with Ambassador Brink at the State Department in Washington DC to get acquainted and discuss her plans for the new post. The White House announced in March 2019 that President Trump had nominated Bridget Brink, a career foreign service diplomat, to […]

Five Slovak students have been chosen to take part in the summer program at the Fund for American Studies (TFAS). The TFAS program, which takes place annually in June-July, offers both coursework and internships, providing students with real-world experience in an English-language setting.  Between 2004 and 2014, FOS sponsored 30 Slovak students for the TFAS […]

The Friends of Slovakia is pleased to introduce five scholars studying at the Fund for American Studies (TFAS) this summer. The scholars included Barbora Bodnárová (TFAS’s Engalitcheff Institute on Comparative Political and Economic Systems), Katarína Mináriková (Institute on Business and Government Affairs), Adam Šebesta (Institute on Political Journalism), and Ivana Smoleňová and Alena Čierna (both […]

The 2014 Scholars were welcomed to Washington with an informal reception on June 15. Hosted by Board member Scott Thayer and his wife Nena amidst their gardens and ponds, the reception also benefited from unseasonably comfortable weather. The Scholars celebrated the end of their first week of classes while enjoying Slovak beer and international nibbles […]

A Country Lost, Then Found by Rick Zednik is a touching account of his Slovak family, with a special focus on his father, Juraj “Jay” Zednik. Jay was lucky to be out of Czechoslovakia when the Warsaw Pact troops invaded in 1968. He sought asylum in West Germany and eventually settled in the US, where […]

The Friends of Slovakia and Ambassador Peter Kmec co-hosted a reception and book launch on November 15th for Pavol Demes’ latest book, which explores Slovak-American relations. The event was attended by a large audience, including many members of Friends of Slovakia and Wendy Luers, who played a significant role in strengthening Slovak civil society. Ambassador […]