Here it is, the group of dangerous conspirators accused by Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico of wanting to “overthrow his government” with the help of “Ukrainian intelligence”: two Bratislava municipal councillors, one a sexagenarian documentary producer and the other a software company manager, as well as a forty-something lawyer working for a multinational company … “He’s increasingly angry and aggressive, it’s pathological,” said Lucia Stasselova, the producer, over a macchiato in a trendy café in the Slovak capital.
Co-founder with two colleagues of the Peace for Ukraine NGO, on January 31, this petite, bob-haired woman was accused by the head of government of preparing “a coup d’état” with the help of the commander of a Georgian unit fighting Russian forces in Ukraine. The proof? A simple photo taken during a 2023 public debate with this Georgian soldier, who was visiting Slovakia at the time. The accusations may seem outlandish, but 60-year-old Fico tends to extravagance in his attempts to discredit the vast pro-European protest movement shaking up the country since his highly contested trip to Moscow to see Vladimir Putin in December 2024.
On Friday, January 24, Peace in Ukraine succeeded in bringing together almost 100,000 demonstrators in this country of just 5.5 million inhabitants to argue that “Slovakia is Europe” in the face of a prime minister who recently declared that “freedom comes from the East while progressive perversion comes from the West.” They are again calling for demonstrations with European flags on Friday, February 7 in over 50 cities, while some close to the PM have raised the possibility of Slovakia leaving the EU. “If Fico has a window of opportunity to get us out of the EU, I’m sure he will,” said Stasselova. “I’m really afraid of going back 30 years.”
‘EU exit’
The protests focus on recent statements made by parliament deputy speaker Tibor Gaspar. Having just returned from a trip to Moscow as part of a parliamentary delegation that included a meeting with the president of the Duma – a figure under European sanctions – this MP from Fico’s party, SMER – SD, declared on January 24 that Slovakia should “leave the door open to EU exit.” This statement caused consternation among the political opposition, business circles and European diplomats, as this Central European country is largely dependent on Western multinationals and European funds.
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Publish date : 2025-02-08 13:34:00
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