Slovakia, a small country in Central Europe, was among the most successful countries in combatting COVID-19 during the first phase of the pandemic in the spring of 2020. However, it appeared to be among the least successful states in later COVID-19 phases. The aim of the article is to highlight the specifics of the Slovak COVID-19 case. Why did Slovakia handle the COVID-19 outbreak effectively in the initial phase, and why did it fail later? The positive anti-epidemic results in the first phase were determined by effective government policies (realized during a time of government change) and catalyzed by the high level of compliance demonstrated by citizens. The failures Slovakia faced later are connected with the limited long-term politico-administrative capacity of the state, and politicization of the pandemic that resulted in social non-compliance. Short term success was possible with the mobilization of all actors, but long term success in this country seems to be “mission impossible”.