A new government led by a populist former prime minister officially took power in Slovakia on Wednesday, promising to cut off military aid to Ukraine.
Robert Fico has taken the Slovak prime minister’s chair for the fourth time following the victory of his leftist Smer, or Direction party in Slovakia’s parliamentary elections on 30 September. The party won 42 seats in the 150-seat parliament, campaigning on a pro-Russian and anti-American platform. President Zuzana Caputova told the new Cabinet:
Today, you just don’t take over power but naturally also responsibility for the republic and its citizens.
Fico signed an agreement to form a coalition government with the radical-left Hlas (Voice) party and the ultra-nationalist Slovak National Party. Hlas, led by Fico’s former deputy at Smer, Peter Pellegrini, won 27 seats. Pellegrini and Fico parted ways after the scandal-plagued Smer lost the previous election in 2020. Pellegrini took over as prime minister after Fico had to resign following widespread anti-government street protests sparked by the murder of journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée in 2018.
The reunion of Fico and Pellegrini was key to the formation of the new government. The third partner, the Slovak National Party, is an explicitly pro-Russian group and won 10 seats in parliament. Fico said:
On behalf of the Slovak government, I’d like to promise that we will be a constructive government. You will hear a sovereign Slovak voice from the Slovak government, from the Slovak ministries.
Slovakia, a country of 5.5 million people bordering Ukraine, has so far steadily sent weapons to Kyiv and accepted Ukrainian refugees.
With Fico coming to power, this position will change. He opposes EU sanctions against Russia. He suggested that instead of sending arms to Kyiv, the EU and the US should use their influence to force Russia and Ukraine to conclude a compromise peace agreement. Fico also opposes Ukraine joining NATO. At the same time, the politician denies all accusations of pro-Russian views, stating that he is only interested in the national interests of his fellow citizens and the country.
Fico, like Vladimir Putin, has repeatedly said that Ukraine is a Nazi state where ethnic Russians in the east need protection. The new government’s political programme has not yet been published, but Fico said Slovakia will now have a tough stance on migration and non-governmental organisations that receive funding from abroad.
Fico’s opponents believe that his return to power could lead Slovakia to abandon its course and go the way of Hungary under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. In addition to the post of prime minister, Smer Fico has six other cabinet posts. Hlas has seven and the Slovak National Party has three.
A victory of pro-Russian Fico could dramatically change Slovakia’s foreign policy and break the already fragile unity in the European Union and NATO. Fico will be able to offer his first ideas at a two-day summit of EU leaders in Brussels, which opens Thursday.
