Slovak unrest: Fico defiant amid foreign influence allegations
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has firmly rejected calls for his resignation, which emerged during mass protests across the country. He stated that a change of government can only occur through elections, not under the influence of street demonstrations.
In a Saturday address on Slovak television, Fico accused non-governmental organizations and the opposition of attempting to destabilize the country through protests financed from abroad. According to him, they aim to provoke clashes with security forces and force the government to step down.
The Prime Minister emphasized that the protests resulted from false information about Slovakia's planned exit from the EU, which he called "an absolute lie." He also reiterated allegations that foreign experts with experience from Georgia and Ukraine are involved in organizing the protests.
"Services are working on a list of foreigners"
Prime Minister Fico stated that Slovak intelligence services are working on a list of foreigners aiming to overthrow the government. He announced their expulsion from the country in the coming days. However, he did not specify the number of people who might be affected by this action.
According to Fico, one-third of the participants in demonstrations against the Slovak government are Ukrainians. He claims Ukrainian television is painting a picture of the collapse of the power system in Slovakia. He also criticized President Volodymyr Zelensky, who wrote on the social network X in Slovak: "Bratislava is not Moscow. Slovakia is Europe."
Fico pledged support for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who plans to veto the extension of EU sanctions on Russia. The Slovak Prime Minister emphasized that he would not agree to attempts to deprive Hungary of its voting rights in the EU Council.
The current wave of anti-government protests in Slovakia began directly after Fico's visit to Moscow, where he met with Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on December 22, 2024. On Friday, according to estimates by organizers, around 60,000 people protested against the government in Bratislava, and in total, about 100,000 people demonstrated in other cities.
The scale of the demonstrations is similar to the Slovaks' opposition following the 2018 murder of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée. At that time, Fico was also the head of the government. Back then, he decided to resign.
