Robert Fico: From EU Advocate to Moscow Ally
In early 2025, Slovakia faced mass protests as citizens voiced their discontent over Prime Minister Robert Fico’s growing ties with Russia. Once a leader who actively supported Slovakia’s accession to the EU, Fico has now taken a significant pro-Moscow turn, raising serious concerns about the country’s future direction.
Many are questioning how a politician, once viewed as a pro-European reformer, has become a figure of controversy, with the possibility of his resignation approaching – an event that would mean the second downfall of his political career.
Fico is a Slovak politician currently serving his fourth term as prime minister. He was born in the socialist town of Topoľčany to a working-class family. Throughout his political career, Fico has consistently presented himself as a “defender of ordinary people,” emphasizing his image as a man of humble origins.
Fico’s political career began in 1986 when he joined the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia as a student, following earlier involvement in the Socialist Youth Union.
After the Velvet Revolution in 1989, he joined the Party of the Democratic Left (SDĽ), which was the successor to the Communist Party of Slovakia, and was elected to parliament in 1992. He later worked as a legal counsel at the European Court of Human Rights but lost all his cases.
In 1999, as support for the SDĽ fell below the parliamentary threshold, he left the party, expressing his disappointment with how the government was functioning. Then, he founded his own center-left party, Direction – Social Democracy (SMER-SD), which quickly gained popularity due to his charismatic leadership and populist promises.
In 2006, the party won the parliamentary elections, allowing Fico to become prime minister for the first time. He returned to this position three more times, in 2012, 2016, and 2023.
What are his politics?
Fico’s first term as prime minister (2006–2010) was marked by rapid economic growth and deeper integration with the EU. However, his second and third terms were overshadowed by the largest protests in Slovakia’s independent history.
He was accused of increasing corruption, political purges, strengthening ties with Russia, and pressuring independent media. Fico openly called journalists “bloodthirsty bastards” and “stupid hyenas.”
Following the 2018 murder of investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée, Fico was forced to resign. Although prosecutors did not directly charge him with involvement in the murder, mass protests erupted across the country, demanding political accountability.
Fico’s return to power in 2023 was no less controversial. One of his most contentious decisions was dismantling Slovakia’s Special Prosecutor’s Office, which oversaw sensitive corruption cases, including those involving officials from the ruling SMER-SD party.
On Dec. 7, Fico stated: “This institution has largely contributed to human rights violations,” after approving a fast-track procedure to amend the criminal code and shut down the office. He further claimed that officials working there had “abused their powers.”
This decision significantly strained Slovakia’s relations with the EU, as did Fico’s stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He opposed supplying weapons and ammunition through Slovak territory, expressed dissent regarding Ukraine’s NATO membership, and labeled the possibility of Ukraine joining the EU by 2025 as “unrealistic.”
Additionally, Fico stated that he would not arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin under an international warrant if the Russian president chose to visit Slovakia.
Fico remains one of the most controversial figures in Slovak politics. Although his tenure included periods of economic growth and deeper European integration, it has also been overshadowed by corruption scandals, increasing authoritarian tendencies, and a polarizing stance on key international issues.
His criticism of Ukraine, his growing ties with Russia, his opposition to Western policies, and his apparent disregard for Slovakia’s strategic interests have contributed to domestic unrest.
Currently, as Slovakia faces both political and energy crises, it appears as though Fico is neither listening to the concerns of his citizens nor taking responsibility for the country’s mounting challenges. Rather than seeking solutions, is Fico simply clinging to power?
Source: Andrew Novitskyi