Two nationalist Central European leaders with pro-Russian ties are facing massive protests, which they liken to “color revolutions” or new “Maidans,” referring to the pro-European uprising of winter 2013-2014 in Kyiv. The protests in Serbia and Slovakia are notable for their similarities, taking place as pro-Kremlin political forces make headway around the world and Ukraine generates widespread war-weariness.
For weeks now, tens of thousands of Serbians and Slovaks – mainly young, educated city dwellers – have been taking to the streets in their respective countries. They accuse Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico of doing essentially the same thing: adopting authoritarian and corrupt methods of governance typical of countries that emulate Russia, such as Viktor Orban’s Hungary, which both leaders openly admire.
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Of course, the situations in Belgrade and Bratislava are not exactly identical. In Slovakia, a member of the European Union (EU) since 2004, the movement was triggered by Fico’s controversial visit to Vladimir Putin in December 2024. “Slovakia is not Moscow. Slovakia is Europe,” proclaimed the demonstrators, waving European flags against their leader, who narrowly avoided prison for corruption while in opposition and who, since his return to power in 2023, has attacked the independence of the judiciary, the police and the media.
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Publish date : 2025-02-12 02:00:00
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