Why discontent is spilling over onto Slovak streets amid Fico government reforms

Thousands of Slovak protesters have taken to the streets of Bratislava to denounce a string of controversial government decisions they say are proof of the erosion of the rule of law and democratic freedoms in the country.

In recent days, three events have unleashed pent-up frustrations with Robert Fico’s coalition government, in which his left-wing nationalist Smer party relies on allies, including the ultranationalist Slovak National Party (SNS).

The first was a purge of the directors of the Slovak National Theatre and National Gallery by hard-right culture minister Martina Šimkovičová, who hails from SNS. She justified their dismissals by citing “political activism” as well as priority for foreign over Slovak performers within the cultural institutions. Her opponents have accused her of a brutal crackdown on expression.

Secondly, Justice Minister Boris Susko’s manoeuvering ensured the release of former special prosecutor Dušan Kováčik from prison last Wednesday. In 2022, Kováčik had been handed a 14-year sentence, later reduced to eight, for accepting a bribe of €50,000. Fico’s justice minister had filed an extraordinary appeal to the Supreme Court to ensure his release, a measure political opponents describe as unprecedented.

Thirdly, in August Fico said he would disband the National Crime Agency (NAKA) — a specialist agency that deals with serious crime and corruption offences — which was handling cases involving the prime minister himself.

‘Slovakia is under attack by its own government’

Organisers of the protests in Bratislava say some 10,000 people took to the streets on Monday to denounce the moves, which they consider an attack on Slovak democracy. Similar numbers are expected to protest on Tuesday.

“The past days have shown us that the huge avalanche that this government is bringing is a frontal attack on our institutions, on the rule of law and justice, and ultimately on the freedom of art and culture,” Lucia Yar, a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for the opposition liberal party Progressive Slovakia, told Euronews.

“People react, the opposition reacts, and we all need to clearly stand up against what’s going on,” she added.

Yar’s Progressive Slovakia party is calling for two extraordinary parliamentary sessions to be held in Bratislava next week, with a potential no-confidence vote for ministers Šimkovičová and Susko.

“The reasons are self explanatory,” Yar said. “Slovakia is basically under the attack of its own government.”

Fico’s SMER party and its two coalition partner parties currently hold 79 of the 150 seats in parliament, meaning a no-confidence vote is unlikely to succeed. But Yar told Euronews that discontent is also brewing within government ranks.

“We are hearing that people within the government are not very happy with what is happening, because these steps are certainly unprecedented for the country,” she said.

Another European lawmaker for Progressive Slovakia, Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová, told Euronews that these protests were a response to months of systematic efforts to undermine the rule of law.

“It’s not just one thing, it’s a sweeping overhaul (by Fico) of the whole system,” she said, adding that Brussels needed to stay alert to the continuous infringements of the principles of the rule of law.

Referring to the government-brokered release of former special prosecutor Dušan Kováčik, she said: “This is in direct contrast with the separation of powers which should be in place in a European country that is a member of the European Union.”

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Brussels alert to Fico’s reforms

It’s not the first time Prime Minister Fico has been forced to deal with the eruption of mass protests against his executive. Back in 2018, Fico was forced to step down amid a wave of mass protests sparked by the murder of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his girlfriend, Martina Kušnírová.

Today, demonstrators’ grievances signal mounting concerns over democratic backsliding since Fico swept back to power as prime minister — for the third time in his political career — last October.

A left-wing nationalist, Fico has delicately navigated his fiercely nationalist policies and Western-sceptic positions while avoiding any severe repercussions from Brussels.

He narrowly avoided an assassination attempt in May when he was shot at close range in the stomach while greeting supporters in the town of Handlová.

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Over recent months, he has pushed through controversial judicial reforms, including changes to the Criminal Code and the dissolution of the Special Prosecutor’s Office. The move prompted fierce condemnation and protests over the winter months.

The government has also come under fire for its overhaul of the public broadcaster RTVS — which the premier claimed was being weaponized against his executive — to create a new broadcaster, SVTR. The most controversial parts of the overhaul were nonetheless dropped following criticism from Brussels.

The EU executive has so far dismissed speculation it could freeze EU funds to Slovakia in response to backsliding, as it has done in the past to punish Viktor Orbán’s government in Hungary, saying in July it was giving priority to “dialogue”.

But experts say it is becoming increasingly difficult for Brussels to turn a blind eye to the raft of divisive reforms pushed through by Fico.

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“The European Commission has been very careful not to draw a line of attack on the (Slovak) government, and that has been made much more difficult because of the recent assassination attempt on Fico himself,” Anton Spisak, policy analyst at the Centre for European Reform, told Euronews.

“They have to draw a very careful line between legitimately criticising the actions of the government, which stand at odds with some of the fundamental principles of the EU, while not giving in to the hatred against Fico himself.”

“But I think with these latest actions, which seem like a very open and blatant attack on the institutions of the state, the Commission will have to act sooner or later,” he predicted.

Euronews contacted the European Commission for a comment but has not yet received a response.

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