Once more, substantial gatherings filled the streets throughout Slovakia on Friday as people demonstrated against populist Prime Minister Robert Fico and his administration’s supportive stance towards Russia.
In the past three months, tens of thousands of individuals have gathered biweekly in Bratislava and other locations, calling for Fico's resignation.
The demonstrations started at the end of December following Fico’s journey to Moscow for discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin, an uncommon visit to the Kremlin by a European Union official since Russia launched its full-scale attack on Ukraine over three years prior. His comments suggesting that Slovakia could potentially exit both the 27-member EU and NATO fueled further unrest.
Fico, who narrowly escaped an assassination attempt in May 2024, has been urged to step down following his remarks regarding potential future EU and NATO membership and his assertion that Russia had valid security concerns for invading Ukraine.
Fico's anti-EU turn
According to experts, one of the most unexpected elements of the demonstrations is that they haven't just occurred in large urban centers; they've also erupted in regions where Fico’s governing leftist-nationalist Smer (Direction) party typically enjoys considerable backing.
The protests occurring in areas traditionally supported by Smer might pose a challenge for Fico, considering his party secured victory in the 2023 parliamentary elections by running on an pro-Russian agenda and appealing to previously unengaged anti-government and anti-authority constituents.
This marked a considerable change for the 60-year-old individual, whose three-decade-long political journey began on the left and had formerly stated that Slovakia ought to be at the "heart of the EU."
The pivotal moment occurred in 2018 when investigative journalist Ján Kuciak—who had been looking into corruption at senior levels—and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová were killed by an assassin. This tragic event sparked massive demonstrations that led to Prime Minister Robert Fico stepping down from his third term in office.
In the 2020 parliamentary elections, Smer lost control, succumbing to parties committed to fighting corruption. At one juncture, the party’s support dropped below 10%, as they became sidelined. However, Fico later shifted towards more radical stances and began promoting pro-Kremlin views, which resonated with numerous Slovak citizens.
Fico served as Prime Minister from 2012 to 2018. In 2018, he stepped down just under three weeks following the assassination of an investigative journalist who had been examining potential governmental corruption. This event ignited widespread outrage and led to national demonstrations.
In 2023, he regained power following his Smer party's victory in a parliamentary election. After returning to office, he has ceased Bratislava’s military and financial assistance to Kyiv, spoken out against EU sanctions imposed on Russia, and pledged to prevent Ukraine from entering NATO.
He has also labeled Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as a national adversary, following the Ukrainian president's decision to cease the transiting of Russian natural gas through his nation once a five-year agreement came to an end.
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