Progressives counting on a strong performance to rein in Robert Fico’s drift away from rule of law
As fears grow that Slovakia is following Hungary down a path away from the rule of law, the country’s opposition says it is determined to prove that citizens want a democratic future.
Since coming back to power last year, Slovakia’s populist prime minister, Robert Fico, has taken aim at the media, NGOs and prosecutors.
Continue reading...Close ally of populist prime minister Robert Fico claimed 53.85% of vote, beating pro-Western opposition Ivan Korčok
Nationalist-left government candidate Peter Pellegrini has won Slovakia’s presidential election ahead of liberal, pro-western opposition candidate Ivan Korčok.
The close ally of populist prime minister Robert Fico received 53.85% of the vote with the ballots from more than 98% polling stations counted by the Statistics Office in Saturday’s runoff election, topping former foreign minister Korčok who had 46.14%.
Continue reading...Polls show Ivan Korčok and Peter Pellegrini, an ally of prime minister Robert Fico, neck-and-neck before Saturday’s runoff
A pro-western diplomat and a politician accused of promoting Russia-friendly talking points will face off in a nailbiting presidential runoff in Slovakia on Saturday, amid fears the country is sliding away from the west.
Ivan Korčok, a former foreign minister, and Peter Pellegrini, the speaker of parliament who is backed by Slovakia’s prime minister, Robert Fico, are neck-to-neck in the polls.
Continue reading...Tens of thousands of young Slovaks who see little future in an increasingly intolerant society are leaving for Prague
Although Marek Mikič spent a few years studying and working abroad, he never expected to leave his native Slovakia permanently. He had a group of close friends and a music festival to run in the eastern town of Košice.
But he changed his mind last September after the re-election of Robert Fico, a populist who promised he would stop military aid to Ukraine, promote conservative family values, and muzzle the courts that have been investigating high-level corruption cases tied to his allies.
Continue reading...Ivan Korcok won most votes in first round, ahead of parliament speaker Peter Pellegrini
A pro-EU former Slovak foreign minister has scored a surprise victory in the first round of a presidential election, setting up a runoff vote with a key ally of the populist prime minister, Robert Fico.
Slovakia’s presidential election is a chance for Fico, whose views on Ukraine have angered critics for veering too close to Russia, to strengthen his grip on power. Opposition forces want a counterbalance to his rule.
Continue reading...Report alleges that candidate asked Hungary to help arrange visit to Moscow in 2020 – when prime minister – to boost popularity
Slovakia risks moving further away from the west, government critics have warned, as a report alleged that a presidential candidate aligned with the country’s populist prime minister, Robert Fico, had previously sought an invitation to Russia to boost his position at home.
Slovaks will vote in a presidential election on 23 March, in what many consider to be a test for the country’s democracy and future within Europe.
Continue reading...Slovakian foreign minister criticises ‘double standards’ in the reaction to his meeting with Sergei Lavrov
Slovakia’s foreign minister has defended a controversial decision to meet his Russian counterpart, after the Czech Republic announced it was suspending intergovernmental consultations with Bratislava amid concerns it is shifting away from western policy on supporting Ukraine.
In a statement emailed to the Guardian on Thursday, Juraj Blanár, who recently met Russia’s Sergei Lavrov in Turkey, hit out at “double standards”, noting that some other Nato foreign ministers had also engaged with the Russian minister.
Continue reading...Warnings about legislation scrapping anti-corruption office and lowering penalties were ignored
Brussels told Slovakia it risked doing “irreparable damage” to the rule of law, it has emerged, before the country’s MPs approved legal reforms that critics say are aimed at protecting the prime minister’s political and business allies.
The Slovakian news outlet SME reported on Wednesday that the European commissioner for justice, Didier Reynders, had written last week to Robert Fico’s government urging it not to fast-track the legislative package through parliament.
Continue reading...Fifteen months after two men were shot in Bratislava, evidence suggests the killer may have been helped by an unidentified US-based extremist
The October evening was warm and sunny. At about 7pm, two young men stepped out of the Tepláreň bar on Zámocká Street in the centre of Bratislava, to sit on a concrete bench and drink lemonade. Matúš, 23, had just arrived in the Slovakian capital to study Chinese. His 26-year-old friend worked in a local clothes shop and enjoyed anime, K-pop and dance.
Standing in an alcove a few metres away was Juraj Krajčík. The 19-year-old had been loitering for about half an hour, witnesses later said. Shortly after the two patrons of the Tepláreň sat down, Krajčík stepped forward, raised a .45-calibre handgun and fired several shots at them. Then he turned and ran, gun in hand.
Continue reading...Critics of Robert Fico fear aim is to halt investigations into individuals connected to ruling Smer party
Slovakia’s populist new prime minister, Robert Fico, has been accused of promoting a “poisonous” plan to undercut prosecutors working on sensitive corruption cases.
Fico, a controversial figure known for railing against independent media and criticising military aid to Ukraine, has announced plans to scrap the special prosecutor’s office, an institution that deals with cases of high-level corruption and organised crime.
Continue reading...Dutch general election results show how populist and far-right parties are advancing into political mainstream
Geert Wilders’ shock victory in the Dutch general election confirms the upward trajectory of Europe’s populist and far-right parties, which – with the occasional setback – are continuing their steady march into the mainstream.
There is no guarantee that Wilders, whose anti-Islam Party for Freedom (PVV) won 37 seats in Wednesday’s ballot – more than twice its 2021 total – will be able to form a government with a majority in the Netherlands’ 150-seat parliament.
Continue reading...Robert Fico describes leading broadcasters and newspapers as hostile and says they are ‘unwelcome guests at government office’
Slovakian journalists and international watchdogs have expressed alarm after the new prime minister, Robert Fico, described leading media outlets as hostile and threatened to restrict their access.
Fico, who took over as Slovakia’s leader in October as part of a coalition government led by his populist Smer party, said this week that some of the country’s biggest outlets were not welcome in his office.
Continue reading...Three-time former prime minister, who promised to end military aid to Ukraine, expected to seek deal with two other parties
Slovakia’s president has asked Robert Fico, a populist, pro-Russian three-time former prime minister who campaigned on a promise to end military aid to Ukraine, to try to form a coalition government after his party came top in weekend elections.
President Zuzana Čaputová stressed on Monday that the new government would have to be one “which will serve all citizens”, saying the coming days would be “a time of political negotiation” not just between parties but between her and party leaders.
Continue reading...Leadership of populist three-time PM could have ramifications for Ukraine, EU and Slovakia’s rule of law
Slovakia’s president, Zuzana Caputova, on Monday handed the country’s former prime minister Robert Fico a mandate to start negotiations to form a coalition government after his Smer-SD party won almost 23% of the vote in weekend elections.
If he succeeds, the populist, pro-Russian leader’s fourth term as prime minister could have significant ramifications for Slovakia’s military support for Ukraine, EU unity and cohesion, and the rule of law in the central European country.
Continue reading...Robert Fico’s Smer party moves ahead of Progressive Slovakia in vote that could fuel fears about future foreign policy stance
The Smer party, led by the populist former prime minister Robert Fico, was on course to win Slovakia’s election on Sunday, garnering more support than its rival Progressive Slovakia in a dramatic knife-edge race.
With almost all votes counted, Smer was poised to take nearly 23% of the vote. Michal Šimečka’s Progressive Slovakia (PS) came second with close to 18%, followed by Peter Pellegrini’s Hlas with 14%.
Continue reading...Election could decide whether country sticks with liberal, pro-western line or begins to lean more towards Russia
Slovakia’s election day in pictures
“There is a real concern that after the vote Slovakia could become some sort of Trojan horse of Russia in the EU and NATO,” said Andrej Matisak, a journalist at Slovak daily Pravda.
Continue reading...Election could decide whether country sticks with liberal, pro-western line or begins to lean more towards Russia
Voting has started in a knife-edge election in Slovakia that could decide whether the country sticks with its liberal, pro-western line or abandons its staunch support for neighbouring Ukraine to lean more towards Moscow.
After a virulent campaign that has included physical brawls and amid a wave of online disinformation, the populist, nationalist three-time prime minister Robert Fico and his Smer-SD party were neck and neck with the newcomers Progressive Slovakia heading into the vote, with PS just ahead in two of the final four opinion polls.
Continue reading...Study of 105 pairs of interacting felines decodes the cat behaviour that puzzles humans – and flags up the unsubtle battle cry of claws and yowling
When cats get together it can be difficult to tell rough and tumble play from a full-blown scrap. Now researchers say they have decoded feline behaviour to help owners spot when the fur might be about to fly.
Dr Noema Gajdoš‑Kmecová, first author of the research from the University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy, in Košice, Slovakia – a cat owner herself – said understanding feline interactions could be difficult.
Continue reading...Britain lagging behind in race to build vital large-scale and local battery factories
Britain is locked in a battle to hold on to production of Jaguar Land Rover’s future range of electric vehicles as concerns grow that the UK is falling behind in the race to build vital large-scale battery factories.
The company, which is owned by the Indian conglomerate Tata, said it continued to “explore all options” for battery supply amid reports it could build electric cars in eastern Europe.
Continue reading...United Nations calling exodus Europe’s fastest-moving refugee crisis since end of second world war
More than 1.3 million Ukrainians have crossed borders since the Russian invasion started on the 24 February in what the United Nations is now calling Europe’s fastest-moving refugee crisis since the end of the second world war.
Figures released today by the United Nation’s Refugee Agency (UNHCR) show that to date 1.37 million people have fled Ukraine into neighbouring European countries after the military offensive ordered by the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.
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