International

Slovakia protesters demand Fico's resignation over pro-Russian stance

Massive protests took place in Slovakia, where tens of thousands of people gathered in the streets to challenge Prime Minister Robert Fico's policies.

Protesters once again called for the resignation of the prime minister and shouted, "We are Europe!"

More than 60,000 people took to the streets in Bratislava on Friday evening to protest against Prime Minister Robert Fico's pro-Russian policies. This time, the number of protesters was approximately four times higher than at the last protest two weeks ago.

"We are Europe" and "Enough with Fico" were just some of the slogans shouted by the angry protesters. Tensions mounted this week after Fico's nationalist government accused its opponents of attempting to sow chaos. Opposition parties and protest organizers dismissed the accusations, claiming they were intended to deflect attention from the political issues that the fragile governing coalition has been unable to address.

"Robert Fico understood that people were displeased with his visit to Moscow. He launched a full campaign to steer Slovakia away from the European Union and NATO," said Marian Kulich, the protest organizer. "He fabricated a conspiracy theory about an impending coup and rallied his supporters."

"We want to express our views safely, in accordance with the law, and we urge all participants to do the same," Kulich added. "The most important thing is to abide by the law and exert public pressure so the government looks not to Moscow but focuses on relations with our partners in the European Union and NATO."

Robert Fico became prime minister for the fourth time in 2023, raising concerns among the opposition and civil society that his government is weakening democratic values and shifting foreign policy away from the European Union and NATO, while growing closer to Russia.

"I came to the Slovakia-Europe protest to show that we do not want to align with Russia; we want to continue the political path we have followed. We want to remain in the European Union, we want to stay in NATO. We do not want to associate with the Russian Federation, and we want to continue supporting Ukraine."

People lit up Liberty Square with their phones and sang the European Union and Slovak national anthems in unison. Similar rallies were held not only in the Slovak capital but also in 20 other cities nationwide. This is the second time this year that protesters have taken to the streets, after the Slovak official traveled to Moscow in December to meet with Vladimir Putin.

Translation by Iurie Tataru

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