Fico’s assassination attempt reveals Slovakia’s serious polarisation

4 months ago 16

The assassination attempt against Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico exposed deep divisions in Slovak society, which his controversial ruling style polarised further.

Fico (Smer-SD, S&D) was shot by a lone gunman on Wednesday afternoon (15 May) and was immediately transported to a local hospital, where he underwent surgery and was said to be in a life-threatening condition.

Many European leaders immediately condemned the violence and showed support for the controversial leader, who has been criticised for his pro-Russian stance, attacks on the media and NGOs, and laws that his government is trying to pass despite criticism from the European Commission.

These include draft laws that would significantly lower jail terms for corruption, the introduction of labelling NGOs as “organisations with foreign support”, and strengthening the governmental control over the public broadcaster RTVS.

A tense political atmosphere

The political atmosphere in Slovakia has been particularly tense since 2018, when the murder of investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová led to one of the largest protests in Slovakia’s modern history and forced Fico to resign.

When he was re-elected to his fourth term as prime minister in October 2023, tensions further escalated as his government regularly attacked media and NGOs and displayed openly pro-Russian attitudes.

Decisions and rhetoric made by Fico’s government have led to repeated massive protests and petitions by both the opposition and civil society since December last year.

This frustration was exacerbated after the presidential election in April. At the time, Fico mocked the voters of the defeated opposition candidate, pro-Western diplomat Ivan Korčok, who said they were childish for not coming to terms with the results, which saw his coalition partner, Peter Pellegrini, win.

Renowned Slovak sociologist Michal Vašečka told the leading newspaper Denník N, that the election results would further exacerbate the polarisation in Slovak society.

Fico himself acknowledged the increasing polarisation in a now-prophetic video where he voiced fears that a member of his government could be killed, claiming that his opponents’ frustration could lead to a bad outcome.

“They are obscenely cursing government politicians in the streets and I am just waiting to see when this frustration, so intensely deepened by Denník N, Michal Šimečka (leader of the liberal opposition) and Aktuality.sk (news website), will translate into the murder of one of the leading government politicians,” Fico said in the interview.

Opposition rejected violence and polarisation of society

President Zuzana Čaputová, a liberal politician who largely disagreed with Fico, strongly condemned the ‘brutal and ruthless’ attack on Fico, while opposition parties SaS and PS cancelled today’s planned protest against Fico’s controversial reform of RTVS.

“We are cancelling today’s rally in view of the attack on the prime minister. We absolutely and strongly condemn the violence and today’s shooting of Prime Minister Robert Fico,” said Michal Šimečka, leader of the main opposition party, Progressive Slovakia.

SaS chairman Branislav Gröhling called on MPs not to blame each other for the situation, while conservative opposition KDH called for unity.

“We must all unite against any acts of violence. The attack on the prime minister is an attack on Slovak statehood and sovereignty. At this moment it is necessary to do everything to calm society,” KDH said.

But the appeals from the opposition, which is usually highly critical of Fico, seemed to have gone unheeded as the tone in the ruling coalition camp quickly escalated.

Triggered ruling coalition

When news of the shooting reached the deputy speaker of the Slovak parliament, Ľuboš Blaha, he immediately suspended the parliamentary session.

“This is your doing,” he shouted to the opposition.

According to Fico’s coalition partner Andrej Danko, leader of the ultra-nationalistic SNS party, it is obvious that this is the result of a social conflict.

“I still don’t want to believe that anyone in society would be willing to cross such boundaries. It is obvious to me that this is the result of a social conflict, and it must end,” said Danko.

He added that for SNS, “a political war is starting”, announcing changes in relations with the media and politicians of the former government.

President-elect Peter Pellegrini, leader of the coalition social democratic party Hlas, described the assassination as an unprecedented threat to Slovak democracy.

“If we express our political views with guns in squares rather than at polling stations, we are endangering everything we have built together in 31 years of Slovak sovereignty.”

What comes next

If Fico remains medically indisposed for a longer period, he could be replaced by one of the deputy prime ministers.

The absence of the prime minister is partly addressed by the Slovak Competence Act, which states that in such a case he is represented by a deputy prime minister appointed by the prime minister. He or she then convenes and chairs cabinet meetings.

There are currently four deputy prime ministers in the Slovak government: Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák (Smer), Economy Minister Denisa Sakova (Hlas), Deputy Chairman for the Recovery Plan Peter Kmec (Hlas), and Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (SNS).

Kaliňák, who is from Fico’s party, seems the likeliest candidate to take over temporarily.

[Edited by Rajnish Singh and Zoran Radosavljevic]