Juraj Tomaga
Ambassador of Slovakia to Spain
A. Rubio / L. Ayllón
He is no stranger to Hispanic culture. Two missions in Cuba and another two in Spain, in addition to his fluency in Spanish, are proof of this. From this position, Juraj Tomaga compares and sees a more orderly, cleaner country, a greener Madrid compared to the one he knew 10 years ago, on his first mission as a diplomat. “And I see you Spaniards as much more European-minded than before, not in a Europeanist sense, which you already were, but more responsible, more serious”. “Although”, the Slovakian ambassador adds, “that doesn’t mean that you laugh less, on the contrary, you still laugh”.
How is Spain seen in Slovakia?
As a very friendly and pleasant country. If you ask, of course, the first thing they will tell you is “Real Madrid”, “Barcelona”, they will talk about the Canary Islands, the beach… But many will also mention CUPRA, which is the SEAT brand. Spain is not only seen as a holiday destination, but as a country with a lot of industry.
For Slovak students, Erasmus in Spain is very popular. Slovakia is also very popular for Spaniards, especially in veterinary and medical studies, because the rent is relatively cheap, you can pay in euros, you can speak Spanish, which is very widespread. We have seven bilingual schools, which annually produce 1,500 Spanish speakers.
We are also recovering the level of Slovak tourists who come to Spain every year. Before the pandemic there were about 110,000. And we hope to increase that number when we re-establish direct flights.
Finally, there are a lot of Slovaks buying property in Spain. I was with the mayor of Estepona, who speaks Slovak although he doesn’t recognise it, to open an exhibition of a Slovak poet and many of his compatriots who live there came. There are about 12,000 registered Slovaks in Spain, not all of them live permanently, many come and go, but they all feel very much at home in Spain.
It’s clear that you like Spain.
Well, yes, but it’s true what I say. Spain has come a long way in everything related to the environment, waste recycling. Now the neighbours separate their waste, you don’t see cigarette butts on the ground, they don’t smoke so much, I don’t know if it’s because of taxes (laughs). I remember that when I was on exchange as a student, people smoked everywhere, on the benches, in the metro, even in hospitals. A few days ago, I passed by the door of a high school with an electronic cigarette in my hand and, before I got inside, a boy said to me “excuse me, sir, you can’t smoke here”. People are much more aware than before. It has been a very positive change.
If anything, the level of services could be improved, particularly in telecommunications, although they have also come a long way. But there is still room for improvement and I think that, with European competition, that improvement will come soon.
Speaking of improvement, is the level that our mutual investments have reached satisfactory?
It can always be better. Spain has 750 million euros invested in Slovakia. And it is much more present in my country than before. It is the 12th most important trading partner for Slovakia. Its presence is felt everywhere. Spanish businessmen are increasingly interested in Slovakia.
A few years ago, Slovak companies did not invest here. Now they do, and they are leading companies. I am glad about that.
For example, InoBat was closing a deal to settle in Valladolid. How are the negotiations going?
As far as I know, negotiations are still ongoing. A fortnight ago I spoke to one of the partners and he told me that they are still very interested in this investment. But I don’t know if the decision has already been taken to set up the battery factory in Valladolid, although I could almost say that it has already been decided. Of course that deal has our full support.
There is another important, I would even say strategic, investment in the munitions factory in Granada.
That factory belongs to the Spanish Ministry of Defence, and therefore cannot be bought. Legally it is a concession, which can be for ten, twenty years, whatever is determined. The truth is that MSM Group invested a lot of money when nobody expected a war to break out in Europe and it seemed that it could have problems because at that time, I am talking about 2019 or 2020, the ammunition did not have big sales.
But MSM Group has a lot of experience in Slovakia and they have always had good technologies. And they realised that in Spain there was also quite advanced technology. So they put those two models together and it was perfect.
I have been to Granada twice, the first time with our honorary consul, and I saw some very impressive people, very well prepared from a professional and technological point of view. Last week I went with our Defence Secretary, Marian Mayer, to talk about the future, about the European programmes that are being put in place and also about Ukraine because most of Grenada’s production now goes directly there.
But also, this company is one of the most important, if not the most important, in terms of job creation in the area. It currently employs 217 people. Quite a large number. And talking to the Slovak manager, who is a friend of mine, he was constantly praising the quality and professionalism of the workers there. So if someone comes to criticise, with the cliché in mind, that Andalusians don’t know how to work, I can tell you that it’s not like that, these people are perfect. They are very skilled, very skilful, they do their job very well. Now MSM Group wants to invest even more and we are waiting for the processes to be speeded up.
Where will production go when the war is over?
We are now realising how necessary security is. Unfortunately, it is in times of war that the most technological advances are made. What will the future hold? I don’t have a crystal ball, but I’m sure we will have to fill the arsenals again in many countries that are helping Ukraine. And that will take time. I hope that for the time being the production will be sufficient to continue to help our Ukrainian friends as much as possible. Now 40,000 shells a day are being expended. We have to make a lot of efforts to overcome this level but I think we will do it, I am optimistic.
In which sectors are there investment opportunities for other companies?
In many, but mainly in high technology. Companies like ESET, which has the NOD antivirus programme, are coming to Spain. It is a company with headquarters in Bratislava, a development centre in Silicon Valley, a huge regional centre in Buenos Aires and its Spanish partner is in Onteniente.
SYGIC, which produces navigation software for the National Police and the Samur, has also launched a product that will monitor how we drive, measuring speed through our mobile phones. It could be used by insurers to reward good drivers.
Another one, SENSONEO, has launched the ‘Deposit Recyclation System’, which already works in Slovakia and consists of giving you 10 cents back for every can or bottle of water you deposit in a container. As a result, the streets of Bratislava are now free of plastic bottles. I spoke to the relevant ministry here and they are interested. It is an initiative that helps the environment, the entrepreneur and the citizen.
The same company has developed filling sensors for the containers. They have already sold them in Madrid and Guadalajara, and I know they were negotiating with Catalonia. It allows the waste manager to know when to collect the container and greatly reduces the cost of recycling.
As for Spanish companies, they are no longer only in the Slovakian automotive sector. They are also entering the real estate sector and many others. My Spanish colleague in Bratislava is doing an admirable job.
The Spanish Presidency of the EU has just started. What does Slovakia expect from these six months?
I was at the presentation of the priorities and I thought it was perfect, I can’t say anything bad. And I have confidence in Spain’s organisational capacity. The 2010 Presidency was also perfectly organised. The Spanish administration has very professional people at all levels. I am convinced that everything will work very well.
Could a change of government be negative for the results of the six-month Presidency if the PP wins the elections?
That is Spain’s domestic politics which I will not go into, but speaking of the most basic, knowing the Spanish diplomat and knowing the priorities that were presented, which we can call ‘multi-purpose’ for any government, I do not feel worried. Both parties, PP and PSOE, have a long and recognised diplomatic track record in the EU.
In terms of the Presidency’s objectives, should Ukraine’s accession be the priority?
Well, we have to support its accession to the EU and NATO. That is the great motivation of its citizens, of its soldiers, but the entry requirements cannot be lowered. We have to help them meet them. But there are also other aspirant countries that, even if they have not gone through the ordeal of Ukraine, are struggling. And it would not be fair to them. I am convinced that Ukraine has a future within the EU, but it must meet the requirements.
According to a recent poll, Slovakia has become the country most critical of European support for Ukraine. Does it worry you?
I have seen that poll. That is happening all over Europe. However, I think polls are one thing and reality is another. You have to look at it from a more reflective point of view. After 500 days of war, people don’t watch the news so much and focus more on their daily problems.
What do you think of the recent European agreement on the migration pact?
What I have read about the pact has been acceptable to Slovakia. We can draw a lot of inspiration from the example of Spain, which knows how to deal with immigration. The fundamental thing is that we have to realise that migrants are necessary to maintain our economies, but that migration must be regulated.
Should the EU-27 coordinate better to manage immigration in the countries of origin?
The problem with migration is that it is a very complicated issue. I had the honour of representing my country in the Rabat process and these are such technical issues that they are difficult to understand. We tend to simplify things that are complicated, but that is not the case. You always have to look at the bottom line.
Has there been any movement for reunification with the Czech Republic?
I read that from time to time on the internet. But they are still minor ideas. After all, we have ended up, as they say, ‘separately together’. But I don’t see any movement towards reunification. We are extremely close countries. A Czech-Slovak fraternity meeting is organised every year in the border region. I personally was born in Czechoslovakia and I am proud of it. It was my homeland, but now my homeland is Slovakia, although I feel very good when I go to the Czech Republic.
