Pro-Russian, critical of the Westcourt politician populist and against military aid to Ukraine. These are four characteristics of the Prime Minister of Slovakia, Robert Ficowhom many call the ‘other Orbán’, injured this Wednesday after being shot five times in the abdomen upon leaving a meeting with his Government in a town located 150 kilometers from Bratislava.
The 59-year-old veteran Slovak politician, who He has already governed the country for three terms (2006-2010, 2012-2016 and 2016-2018), returned to power after Win the election legislative elections on September 30 of last year. Since October, he has governed in coalition with the La Voz party, which defines itself as social democratic, and the far-right Slovak National Party.
His speech against illegal immigration and aid to Ukraine gave him victory at the polls With 30 years of politics behind him, Fico knew how to take advantage of the discontent generated among the most disadvantaged classes of Slovakia for the inflation and the failed management of the Executive that preceded him, overthrown with a motion of censure in December 2022.
[El primer ministro eslovaco Robert Fico, en estado crítico tras ser disparado en el abdomen]
The controversial politician had to resign as prime minister in 2018 after the murder of journalist Jan Kuciak, who was investigating links between his government and the mafiawhich triggered massive anti-government demonstrations.
During his years in opposition, Fico adopted a more populist, nationalist speech and with emphasis on illegal immigration. He is compared to his Hungarian counterpart, Viktor Orbánand also, although to a lesser extent, with the party Law and Justice from Poland.
Foreign policy shift
Yes Slovakia had unconditionally supported Ukraine Since Russia invaded it in February 2022, supplying weapons and opening the borders to refugees fleeing the war, the new pro-Russian Executive gave a 180 degree turn to the foreign policy from the country.
In one of his first decisions, Fico cut the supply of weapons to Ukraine, just as he had promised during the campaign, under the pretext that kyiv is partly responsible for the war caused by the Russian invasion, and advocating for a negotiation with Russia to end the conflicteven without guarantees of territorial integrity for Ukrainians.
The populist leader showed his opposition to EU sanctions on Russia, promised prevent Ukraine from joining NATO -what in his opinion would be the guarantee of a Third World War– and noted, in one of his first statements after his victory, that Slovakia has “bigger problems than the Ukrainian question” such as energy prices or the cost of living.
Beyond breaking the unity of action of the European Union with Ukraine, Fico has undertaken other controversial measuresas the elimination of the Special Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Officeand others that remember the media and NGO control policies carried out by the ultranationalist Orbán Government in Hungary, widely criticized in Brussels for violating the rule of law.
Slovak Prime Minister has charged against opponents and NGOsaccusing them of follow instructions from financier George Soros and He has been a great critic of LGTBI lawsthe Muslims and immigrantspromising stability and order as opposed to the quotas of solidarity distribution of refugees of the EU.
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