BRATISLAVA – Slovakia’s defence ministry plans to build yet another military hospital and insists any increase in defence spending must go towards ‘dual-use’ projects – despite expert criticism and doubts over whether NATO will recognize it as a legitimate defence investment.
Not even halfway through its term, Prime Minister Robert Fico’s government has already approved a second site for a major hospital. The twist? Both projects are being overseen not by the health ministry, but by the defence ministry.
The planned “National University Hospital of General Milan Rastislav Štefánik” is set to be built in the Bratislava district of Vajnory, on land owned by the defence ministry.
The projected cost of the facility is €1.27 billion (excluding VAT), with €200 million coming from the EU recovery fund. The hospital is scheduled for completion in 2030, with the health ministry limited to overseeing only medical matters.
The hospital in Vajnory is expected to closely mirror the one currently under construction in the eastern Slovak town of Prešov, both of which are overseen by Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák – a close ally of Fico and a member of his populist Smer party.
“The hospital in Vajnory will provide comprehensive medical care, including education and research. The site allows not just for the construction of a flagship hospital, but also for implementing a broader vision for healthcare in Bratislava,” said Health Minister Kamil Šaško, from Hlas, the junior party in the ruling coalition.
Šaško explained that limited time and funding were key reasons for partnering with the defence ministry. Kaliňák added that his ministry was “glad to step in”, as it can “streamline the process, finish the project, and deliver results”.
The announcement of construction in Vajnory took many by surprise and raised several crucial questions.
Should the defense ministry be building hospitals?
While the district mayor of Vajnory welcomed the project, he sent a letter to government officials requesting “all available and relevant information,” noting he had received no details beyond what had been published in official materials and the media.
The opposition is also demanding answers. Its health experts questioned how the government plans to address the deteriorating state of existing hospitals or where it intends to find additional medical staff, who are already in short supply.
Meanwhile, defense experts contacted by Euractiv Slovakia raised even broader concerns – starting with the very fact that the defence ministry is leading the hospital construction.
“This is a completely nonsensical solution that is unstrategic, nontransparent, and runs counter to Slovakia’s defence and security interests,” said former Defense Minister Jaroslav Nad’, a member of the centre-right Democratic party.
Naď noted that Slovakia already has a central military hospital in Ružomberok, in northern Slovakia, as well as another facility in Bratislava – St. Michael’s Hospital – which serves the defence sector.
He also warned that the cost of the new military hospital under construction in Prešov is “rising by hundreds of millions” and predicted a similar fate for the planned hospital in Vajnory.
“Robert Kaliňák is a businessman who’s turned the defense ministry into a cash cow – at the expense of soldiers and meaningful modernization,” Naď added.
Tomáš Valášek, a former Slovak ambassador to NATO and a current member of parliament for the centrist Progressive Slovakia party, also warned that civilian hospitals should not be built near military installations, as this exposes patients to unnecessary risk during conflicts.
“I don’t understand why the ministry would expose citizens to that kind of risk,” he told Euractiv Slovakia.
Both Naď and Valášek also raised concerns over transparency. Under the defence ministry, different procurement rules may apply, and Valášek noted the entire tender process could be classified.
“It may turn out that this was the real reason why the defence ministry, and not the health ministry, is leading the project,” he suggested.
Will NATO count it as defence spending?
Both politicians agree that the defense ministry will face “serious difficulty” in getting NATO to recognize the hospital as a defence-related investment, as the ministry intends.
In 2023, NATO members reaffirmed their commitment to spend at least 2% of their gross domestic product on defence, reflecting growing concerns over Russia’s war against Ukraine. U.S. President Donald Trump has long criticised NATO members for failing to meet this target, even pushing for defence spending to be increased to 5%.
Valášek acknowledged that dual-use projects – serving both civilian and military applications – are a legitimate part of military budgets, but warned that “the defence budget cannot become the budget for every other ministry.”
Naď argued that NATO will have a problem approving the hospital as a military investment, noting that four military hospitals in a country with 5.4 million inhabitants far exceed NATO’s standard requirements.
He also highlighted that certifying such hospitals requires military personnel – something the ministry struggles to provide even for its existing facilities.
“But Kaliňák does not care. He knows the reputational and financial mess he’s creating will be left for the next minister to clean up. His job is just to get the groundwork done –probably with pre-arranged supplier deals already in place,“ Naď said.
Independent security analyst Vladimír Bednár also pointed out that while Slovakia maintains its nominal defense spending, its real capabilities are declining precisely due to funds being diverted to dual-use projects.
(cs, aw)