Slovakia protesters call on Fico to resign over government’s pro-Russia policy shift

The latest rallies took spot successful 41 locations successful Slovakia, up from 28 2 weeks ago, and successful different 13 cities abroad, organizers said.

They are biggest demonstrations since large thoroughfare protests successful 2018 prompted by the slayings of an investigative newsman and his fiancee. The ensuing governmental situation led to the illness of Fico’s erstwhile government.

Fico, who survived an assassination effort successful May 2024, has escalated the hostility successful the state by accusing protestation organizers of being successful interaction with foreigners who organized caller anti-government protests successful Georgia and are nether power of Ukraine’s authorities who, helium said, are moving toward engineering a coup successful Slovakia.

Government officials person failed to supply grounds for the claim, which has been dismissed by the Peace for Ukraine organization.

Fico’s views connected Russia person sharply differed from the European mainstream. He returned to powerfulness past twelvemonth aft his leftist enactment Smer (Direction) won a parliamentary predetermination connected a pro-Russia and anti-American platform.

He has since ended Slovakia’s subject assistance for Ukraine, criticized European Union sanctions connected Russia and vowed to artifact Ukraine from joining NATO. He declared Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy arsenic an force aft Ukraine halted connected Russian state supplies to Slovakia and immoderate different European customers.