Robert Fico's Resurgence: Slovakia's Populist Prime Minister Returns to Power

 

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Robert Fico, known for his admiration of Putin and passion for fast cars, appears poised to reclaim the role of Slovakia's prime minister post the recent parliamentary elections. 

A retrospective glance at his political journey reveals a resurgence driven by populism and disinformation after his ousting five years ago in the wake of a journalist's murder that exposed government corruption. 

September 30 Polls

Following the recent parliamentary polls on September 30, the pro-Russian populist Robert Fico, aged 59, who remained in the shadows for half a decade, is set to retake the helm as Slovakia's prime minister if he can secure sufficient allies for a ruling coalition. 

With 99.98% of ballots counted, Fico's centre-left party, Direction-Social Democracy (Smer-SD), clinched 22.9% of the vote, triumphing over the centrist Progressive Slovakia party, which garnered 17.9%.

Past Record of Fico

Twice elected as the prime minister of this East European nation with 5.4 million residents, Fico has traveled a rocky road since his 2018 resignation amid the murder of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée.

The double homicide incited massive anti-government protests, demanding Fico's resignation, as Kuciak's investigative work unveiled ties between the Italian mafia and Smer-SD, ultimately jeopardizing Fico's inner circle. The Italian businessman, Calabrian mafia, and Fico's assistant, former model Maria Troskova, were implicated. 

In 2019, billionaire businessman Marian Kocner faced charges for orchestrating the murder but was acquitted in the subsequent year. However, other suspects pleaded guilty, including the shooter, a former soldier, who received a 23-year prison sentence.

Fico's strained relationship with the press had long been evident. On multiple occasions, he publicly disparaged Slovak journalists who regularly exposed government corruption as "idiotic hyenas" and "dirty anti-Slovak prostitutes." 

Despite an anti-corruption coalition's rise to power in 2020, Fico managed to retain his parliamentary seat following his resignation. Fico now avoids direct interaction with the press, relying primarily on videos posted on Facebook, YouTube, and Telegram for communication—a strategy that leverages disinformation effectively.

2022 Survey in Slovakia

A 2022 survey by the Globsec think-tank indicated that 54% of Slovaks are susceptible to fake news, including conspiracy theories like the "New World Order."

Fico's Slogan and Approach

Fico's party pledges "stability, order, and well-being" through its posters in Bratislava. However, in Fico's vision, migrants and LGBT+ individuals, who are targets of his most vehement attacks, are no longer embraced. 

He has expressed strong opposition to LGBT+ marriage and described same-sex couples' adoption as a "perversion," despite its impossibility in Slovakia. 

While he is married to a lawyer with whom he shares a son, Slovak media reports suggest their separation. Fico, who has a penchant for fast cars, football, and bodybuilding, openly admires Vladimir Putin's authoritarian rule. 

Fico recently declared that he would not authorize Putin's arrest, despite an international warrant alleging war crimes in Ukraine. Additionally, he pledged to halt Slovakia's military aid to Ukraine during his campaign.

Michal Vasecka, a Slovak sociologist, writes in his book "Fico: Obsessed with Power" that Fico's connection to Russia has deep historical roots underpinned by the socialist motto "With the Soviet Union for Eternity."

Fico initiated his political career as a lawyer with the Communist Party, eventually founding his party, Smer-SD, in 1999. In 2006, Smer-SD achieved a resounding parliamentary victory, propelling Fico to the prime ministerial position two years after Slovakia joined the EU. 

During the 2007-2009 global financial crisis, Fico formed a coalition with the far-right Slovak National Party, which shared his anti-refugee rhetoric and populist orientation. His popularity surged as he opposed austerity measures during the crisis.

In the 2015 European migration crisis, Fico staunchly opposed welcoming migrants, criticizing the European refugee distribution quota program and refusing to "create a separate Muslim community in Slovakia."

Fico made a name for himself on the European stage as Slovakia's representative to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg from 1994 to 2000.

Despite previously lauding Slovakia's adoption of the euro as a "historic decision," Fico has now launched open attacks on the EU, NATO, and Ukraine to appeal to both far-left and far-right voters. He does so provocatively and with misogynistic undertones, often targeting Slovak President Zuzana Caputova.

Fico's confrontational approach reached a climax during Labour Day celebrations in May 2022, when he referred to Caputova as an "American whore," triggering a public outcry.

(Courtesy: France 24)