Dr. Vladimír Palko

Former Minister of Interior of Slovakia

Dr. Vladimír Palko is a mathematician, university lecturer, and politician. In 1998, Palko was elected to the Slovakia’s National Council for the SDK party. In 2000, along with nine other MPs, he left the SDK parliamentary club and founded the KDH club in the National Council. During this period, he served as the Chairman of the National Council's Committee for Defense and Security. Later, he served as Minister of the Interior under the second Dzurinda government and, from 2008 to 2014, was Chairman of the Conservative Democrats of Slovakia (KDS).After retiring from politics, Palko, a devout Catholic, dedicated himself to writing books and articles. In 2015, Pope Benedict XVI sent him a personal letter praising his book Levy prichádzajú (Lions Are Coming). In 2021, for his contributions to the Catholic Church and its mission, Pope Francis awarded him the title of Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Gregory the Great.