Democracy under threat - The current political climate in Slovakia
reading time: 6 mins 24 seconds
by Jolanka Kocianová Vuong
Populism is on the rise! It seems this statement has been repeated quite often these days. Politicians such as Trump, Meloni, and Orban all represent extreme positions and controversial policies suited to populist ideals. However, another lesser-known populist politician is Robert Fico, the Prime Minister of Slovakia. In Slovakia, democracy is under threat on a scale not seen since the 1990s—ranging from assassination attempts to coup allegations, the undermining of the executive branch and attacking the opposition. Fico is evolving into Orban 2.0, drawing scrutiny from the European Union. Yet, this situation has not been widely reported in the news. So what is happening in Slovakia, and how is it threatening the democratic order in Europe?
Communism, Mafia, Resignation
Robert Fico’s controversies stretch back several years. To understand the current situation, it's essential to revisit his political background. Like many top politicians in Central and Eastern Europe, Fico began his political career in the Communist Party. After he was denied ministerial positions, he founded the social-democratic party Smer-SD in 1999, which has dominated the Slovak political landscape ever since. He served as Prime Minister for 11 years, making him the longest-serving Prime Minister in Slovakia (2006-2010, 2012-2018). His tenure allowed him to build what some referred to as a mafia state. This all came crashing down in 2018 when investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée, Martina Kušnírová, were murdered after Kuciak had uncovered links between Fico’s government and the Italian Mafia. Subsequent investigations revealed that high-ranking officials in Fico’s government were involved likewise. This scandal sparked large protests, leading to Fico’s resignation. However, he did not disappear from the political stage and made a comeback in 2023.
Jan Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/de/press-room/20180309IPR99421/mord-an-jan-kuciak-parlament-fordert-eu-ermittlungen
The Crumbling of Democracy
Since his electoral success, Fico has been consolidating his power to ensure that his resignation in 2018 is not repeated. Learning from previous experiences, he began to undermine the rule of law. His government introduced a criminal code reform that reduced penalties for crimes, such as corruption and fraud. Moreover, the reform abolished the special prosecutor’s office, which handled serious prosecutions related to political corruption. These measures raised concerns in Brussels. The European Commission saw them as a threat to EU funds, and considered withdrawing financial support. Even the European Parliament expressed concern about the rule of law in Slovakia, prompting Fico’s government to backtrack on some of the planned reforms. Nevertheless, the reform continues to be a cause for alarm: criminal activity is on the rise, as thefts under 500 euros are classified merely as offenses, convicted criminals are released from prison, and the prosecution of crimes is increasingly difficult.
To silence criticism, Fico turned his attention to overhauling public media. The public broadcaster RTVS was replaced with a new organization, after the ultranationalist Culture Minister, Martina Šimkovičová accused RTVS of only promoting mainstream views. Here, critics warn that this move allows the government to take full control of the media, undermining freedom of press and independent journalism. Efforts to prevent this legislation, including protests and an open letter to the European Commission, were ignored by the government, which pushed the legislation through.
The “Blame the Opposition” Game
To put an end to these threats to democracy someone chose to express dissatisfaction through more radical measures. On May 15, 2024, there was an assassination attempt on Prime Minister Fico, who was shot five times. The case attracted widespread media attention, labeled one of the most serious attacks on a European leader in decades. Fico was shot in Handlová while leaving a government meeting. He was airlifted to the hospital, where his condition stabilized after a five-hour operation. By June 5, he was well enough to make his first public appearance, during which he blamed the opposition for the attack. This incident revealed deep polarization within Slovak society, although investigations concluded that the attacker—a 71-year-old poet and former security guard—acted alone, with no involvement from the opposition. Conversely, the assassin
The opposition remains a thorn in the side of Fico. His main target has been Michal Šimecka, leading the party, Progresívne Slovensko (Progressive Slovakia). The Oxford graduate and former European Parliament MEP has become Fico’s primary focus for discrediting opposition efforts. Šimecka's family members, including his partner, mother, and grandfather, have been subjected to a defamation campaign. Šimecka’s family has been receiving funds for their NGOs and projects since before he started his political career. There is an NGO named after his grandfather, the Milan Šimečka Foundation, his partner Soňa Ferienčíková’s project (BOD.Y) and his mother’s NGO Project Forúm that helps the Roma community. Fico accused Šimecka of abusing his position and of using the funds for his personal purposes. These unsubstantiated claims were the reason for his removal from the position of deputy speaker of parliament, and form an example how Fico has tried to silence his opposition
Most recently,in January 2025, the opposition was once again blamed, this time for allegedly planning a coup to overthrow the government. The situation escalated when the opposition, led by the PS party, united to hold a vote of no confidence against the government.When the Parliament session was supposed to begin, Fico’s officials banned journalists from entering the room, claiming that the session was about state security matters and therefore classified. In response to this, the opposition walked out. Prime Minister Fico later justified the actions taken with a report by Slovakia's civilian intelligence service (SIS), whose head has personal links to Fico. Such a political abuse of the SIS has not been seen since Mečiar’s government in the 1990s, when it was involved in kidnapping the president’s son. This report claimed to have "evidence" that opposition forces were planning a "Maidan" style coup, involving emails from an NGO organizing non-violent protests. Interestingly, the alleged coup was said to involve the "Georgian Legion," which is currently fighting in Ukraine. Its leader, Mamuka Mamulašvili, denied these claims and labeled them as Russian propaganda.
Pro-Russian Stance - Back to Soviet Times?
Whether or not the coup allegations are indeed Russian propaganda is disputed. However, one thing is clear: Prime Minister Robert Fico displays a strong pro-Russian stance. A Series of controversial state visits began with a visit to China in November 2024. Fico and a large Slovak delegation arrived in China, officially to establish a strategic partnership between Beijing and Bratislava..The true purpose of this visit raised concerns,given the lack of transparency and the absence of Slovak media representatives.In contrast, Fico was interviewed by Russian media officials representing the state propaganda channel Rossiya 1
Following his deepening ties with the Kremlin, Fico made several visits to Moscow, especially after Ukraine announced the cessation of Russian gas transit to Slovakia, to which Slovakia was heavily dependent. Instead of seeking alternatives, Fico held a "working meeting" with Putin, with an undisclosed agenda. Discussions likely included Russian gas and what Fico referred to as Ukraine's "sabotage." Ultimately, these appeals to Putin proved futile, as President Zelensky halted gas transit on January 1st. Fico's only response was a weak threat to stop supplying electricity to Ukraine while reiterating support for Ukrainian refugees. This issue remains sensitive; Fico even threatened to use his veto at the EU defense summit unless Zelensky reopened the gas pipelines but to no avail.
As if the ties with Russia were not evident enough, both Gašpar and Fico acknowledged the possibility of Slovakia leaving the EU and NATO. Gašpar commented on the opposition SaS party's proposal to enshrine Slovakia's membership in these organizations in the constitution. He asserted that Slovakia joined these organizations based on a referendum; the same could apply to a potential withdrawal. Even though both statements were later withdrawn and President Pellegrini condemned such notions, a massive wave of protests erupted in response. Protests against the government, advocating for Slovakia's continued EU membership, were held weekly or biweekly in all major cities. These protests are, as of now, the largest in the country's history, with one demonstration drawing in 65,000 participants in Bratislava.
From Crisis to Crisis
While Fico is preoccupied with geopolitics, the domestic situation is spiraling out of control. Slovakia ranks poorly in almost all EU statistics, with some of the highest inflation rates and grocery prices. The government has implemented austerity measures and raised taxes at the beginning of the year. Young people are leaving the country for better job opportunities and living conditions in other Member States. The Slovak economy, heavily reliant on the automobile industry, is struggling, and challenges such as Trump's tariffs only complicate matters further. The government is dysfunctional; some coalition members refuse to cooperate unless they receive a ministry, resulting in the loss of the coalition's majority. The situation in Slovakia is increasingly precarious. The coalition government risks losing its majority if they do not receive certain posts. Compounding the crisis, the national land register remains dysfunctional, one month after a cyberattack, and schools are facing repeated bomb threats. The healthcare system is on the verge of collapse and urgently needs significant investment. Earlier this year, nearly half of Slovakia’s doctors submitted their resignations due to disputes over wages, yet many were compelled to continue working due to a new law that imposes imprisonment for refusing to do so.
Slovakia's case illustrates the fragility of democracy. The actions of individuals like Robert Fico can inflict lasting damage to the democratic state and its people. The European Union needs to take a more active role interfering in countries that undermine the rule of law, like Slovakia and Hungary. It’s potential for intervention was seen in the case of the recent criminal code reform. However, there is still hope; the Slovak people are slowly realising how dangerous Fico’s and his associates' actions can be and are joining protests. The central message is clear: we must unite and fight for democracy!
