Pro-EU and pro-Ukrainian protests
The 2025 Slovak protests refer to widespread demonstrations involving tens of thousands of Slovak citizens mobilizing across Slovakia, primarily to protest Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico's pro-Russia policies. The demonstrations, organized by Peace for Ukraine, took place in 28 different areas throughout the country.
Background.
The protests emerged in response to Prime Minister of Slovakia Robert Fico's diplomatic actions and policy positions following his return to power in October 2023. His Direction – Social Democracy (Smer–SD) party secured electoral victory on a platform combining pro-Russian sentiment with anti-American and Eurosceptic rhetoric, leading to substantial changes in Slovakia's foreign policy orientation. Under Fico's leadership, Slovakia implemented several controversial policy changes which included the termination of military aid to Ukraine, marked opposition to European Union sanctions against Russia, promising to block Ukraine's potential NATO membership, and suggesting Slovakia's withdrawal from the European Union and NATO.
In April 2024, the Slovak government, under Robert Fico, approved a law that would abolish the existing Radio and Television of Slovakia (RTVS) public broadcasting service and replace it with new entity named Slovak Television and Radio (STVR). The primary justification was based on allegations of political activism and a lack of objectivity. "The situation in RTVS is unsustainable... [it] cannot be objective because it's in permanent conflict with the Slovak government," said the prime minister Robert Fico. The Director General of STVR is now selected by a council whose members are appointed by the Culture Minister, the Finance Minister, and the parliament, where the ruling coalition holds a majority, giving disproportionate power to Fico and his allies over the broadcasting service.
On 15 May 2024, Fico was shot and critically injured during an assassination attempt carried out by 71-year-old Juraj Cintula, who stated that he acted primarily because of the Fico government's opposition to military assistance to Ukraine during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Following his recovery, on 5 June 2024, Robert Fico posted a 14-minute long prerecorded speech online, calling the would-be assassin an "activist of the Slovak opposition" that turned into a "messenger of the evil and political hatred" created and driven out of control by the "unsuccessful and frustrated opposition". Fico claimed that political opposition from the left showed "violent or hateful excesses" against his democratically elected government over the belief that a West-focused foreign policy was the only acceptable approach, especially concerning the Russo-Ukrainian war, believing that the "right to have a different opinion has ceased to exist in the European Union".
On 12 June, Fico's government unveiled a series of measures to improve security for politicians and other important individuals in response to the assassination attempt. These included banning protests in front of politicians’ residences and within 50 meters of the seat of government and the presidency, the allocation of long-term residences for the president, prime minister, and National Council speaker, and security for the leaders of all political parties in the National Council, the prosecutor general and the head of the Constitutional Court. The proposals were approved by the National Council on 27 June and will come into effect on 15 July. Opposition groups and Amnesty International criticized the measures as an attempt to limit the right to assembly.
In addition, the Slovak government faced potential economic ramifications from the cessation of Russian gas transit caused by Ukraine's tightening of sanctions, against Lukoil, Russia's largest private oil firm. This included a ban Lukoil on oil supplies and the assignment of its contractual obligations to supply oil to Hungary and Slovakia through the Druzhba pipeline to other companies.
On 31 December 2024, the five-year agreement signed in 2019 on the transit of Russian natural gas through Ukraine expired. The next day, the pressure in the GTS gradually decreased, and at 07:00 (UTC+2), the valve was finally shut off at the station near the town of Sudzha in the Kursk region. Despite the fact that Ukraine announced its intention to refuse to extend the gas transit contract with Gazprom back during the Russian-Moldovan gas dispute in 2021–2023 and Robert Fico had enough time to ensure energy independence from Russia and diversify gas supplies, he wasted it. And when Ukraine offered to help arrange for the supply of gas produced in Azerbaijan, Fico refused and reiterated that he wanted to continue buying only Russian gas. According to Fico, Slovakia, which earns money from transporting Russian gas through the parastatal Eustream, will lose half a billion euros annually in the future. However, in practice, the company did not bring half a billion to the state either before or during the Russian invasion of Ukraine: in 2022–2024, the volume of gas, along with its revenues, fell even further, and in 2023 the company reported a loss. This led to further antagonism of Ukraine's government by Fico and further demands to stop European sanctions and military aid.
Opinion polling for the next Slovak parliamentary election has shown a decrease in support for the government, and a rise in support for opposition parties, with Progressive Slovakia taking the lead. Based on recent polls, the opposition would be able to form a tight government majority.
Protests.
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The protests began on 23 December 2024, following Fico's surprise visit to Moscow for a one-on-one meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. After the audience with Putin, the pro-Russian leader of Slovakia did not appear in Slovakia for more than two weeks. Later, journalists found him in a luxury apartment in Vietnam through videos he posted on Facebook.
Large-scale protests occurred on 24 January 2025 amid heightened political tension after Prime Minister Fico presented allegations of a potential coup attempt. Citing a classified Slovak Intelligence Service (SIS) report, which is headed by the son of a close party associate of Fico's who faces serious charges of misusing the police for political purposes, Fico claimed that his political opposition was coordinating with foreign entities to orchestrate the overthrow of his government through planned civil disobedience, including government building occupations, road blockages, and nationwide strikes. Opposition leaders and protest organizers from Peace for Ukraine categorically rejected these allegations, characterizing them as attempts to intimidate the Slovak population. Critics noted that the SIS leadership maintained close ties to Fico's political allies.
Demonstrations against Fico began following his diplomatic visit to Moscow in late December 2024, where he met with Russian president Vladimir Putin. On 10 January 2025, the Peace to Ukraine organization coordinated demonstrations throughout Slovakia, with protest leader Lucia Štasselová condemning the Moscow visit as fundamentally incompatible with democratic values. Anti-Fico protests also sprung up in neighboring countries, including in the Czech Republic and Poland.
On 24 January 2025, protests centered in Bratislava drew an estimated 35,000 - 40,000 participants, additional protests drew a crowd of 15,000 in Košice, with thousands in other cities across the country, according to organizer counts. Protesters expressed their opposition through various slogans emphasizing Slovakia's European identity, including "Slovakia is not Russia, Slovakia is Europe" and calls for Fico's resignation. Peace for Ukraine announced plans for continued demonstrations, scheduling the next major protest for February 7, 2025.
Consequences.
Collapse of the government coalition.
During the protests against Fico's Fourth Cabinet, the government coalition lost its majority in the National Council. In 2024, the ruling coalition lost three of its members and held on to the minimum possible majority of one vote in parliament. On 24 January 2025, two MP's from the ruling Voice – Social Democracy party, Samuel Migaľ and Radomír Šalitroš, were expelled.
A day later, they issued a joint statement together with Ján Ferenčák and Roman Malatinec, saying they would not take part in parliament voting until further notice.
References.
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