{"id":87491,"date":"2024-06-19T08:57:45","date_gmt":"2024-06-18T22:57:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?p=87491"},"modified":"2024-06-19T08:57:45","modified_gmt":"2024-06-18T22:57:45","slug":"slovakias-anti-democratic-government-is-doubling-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/slovakias-anti-democratic-government-is-doubling-down\/","title":{"rendered":"Slovakia’s anti-democratic government is doubling down"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/figure>\n

Just as Slovakia entered a moratorium on public speeches and campaigning ahead of this month\u2019s European Parliament elections, Prime Minister Robert Fico\u00a0delivered\u00a0his first public remarks since he was seriously injured in an assassination attempt in May.<\/p>\n

On May 15, Fico was shot four times at close range in the former mining town of Handlova in central Slovakia after chairing an offsite cabinet meeting. He was transported to the hospital in critical condition, underwent several rounds of surgery and is now recuperating at his home in Bratislava.<\/p>\n

In a recorded\u00a0video address, Fico said he \u2018forgives\u2019 the man who tried to kill him. But he swiftly blamed the \u2018politically unsuccessful and frustrated\u2019 opposition for the circumstances that led to the shooting, calling the assailant the opposition\u2019s \u2018messenger of evil and political hatred\u2019. Fico added that he had \u2018no reason to believe this was an attack by a lone madman.\u2019<\/p>\n

The shooter, 71-year-old poet and former security guard Juraj Cintula, reportedly opposed Fico\u2019s\u00a0media policies\u00a0and his government\u2019s\u00a0stance on Ukraine. But as an anti-minority, anti-immigrant activist with ties to an ultra-nationalist group that has acted as a pro-Russia propaganda tool, Cintula could hardly be described as a supporter of the progressive liberal opposition, let alone its messenger.<\/p>\n

Nevertheless, the attempted assassination is indicative of Slovakia\u2019s toxic political climate and deepening polarisation (among the\u00a0highest in Europe<\/a>), which reflects three main factors. First, an intense intergenerational conflict is playing out across Slovakia\u2019s political spectrum as older, rural and often disillusioned voters find themselves at odds with the opposition\u2019s younger, urban and more pro-Western voter base.<\/p>\n

These groups increasingly struggle to find common ground, causing rifts within households and local communities. For example, while the current government\u2019s supporters are preoccupied with pensions, social benefits, and \u2018preserving peace\u2019\u2014having been convinced by Fico that aiding Ukraine would drag Slovakia into a military conflict with Russia\u2014younger voters view the country\u2019s NATO and European Union memberships as crucial security guarantees. Meanwhile, social conservatives, seeing \u2018progressive\u2019 or \u2018liberal\u2019 politics as a threat to traditional family and religious values, assume a defensive stance that stifles constructive political dialogue.<\/p>\n

Second, Slovakian voters have been inundated with incendiary rhetoric, misinformation and hate speech, all amplified by social media. Fico himself has repeatedly, and falsely, accused\u00a0former president Zuzana Caputova of being a \u2018foreign agent\u2019 serving \u2018American interests\u2019, possibly contributing to death threats against her and her loved ones. His cabinet members similarly\u00a0mischaracterised\u00a0pro-Western presidential candidate Ivan Korcok as a warmonger to stoke fears among supporters of the ruling party, Smer-Social Democracy.<\/p>\n

Lastly, Fico\u2019s return to power has exacerbated the problem. Fico, Slovakia\u2019s longest-serving prime minister, staged an\u00a0unlikely political comeback\u00a0in 2023, five years after he was forced to step down to quell a political crisis sparked by the murder of a journalist investigating allegations of high-level corruption. Over the past few years, several members of Fico\u2019s former cabinet have been suspected of, and\u00a0in some cases charged with, serious criminal offenses.<\/p>\n

Consequently, the government\u00a0dismantled\u00a0the Special Prosecutor\u2019s Office, which was responsible for investigating such crimes, and tried to\u00a0overhaul the penal code immediately after assuming office, triggering\u00a0widespread protests. The government has also sought to restructure public media to\u00a0tighten control over news content, thereby undermining press freedom and the European Union\u2019s rule-of-law standards.<\/p>\n

The outcome of April\u2019s presidential election could\u00a0further undermine democratic checks and balances, as the government-aligned president, Peter Pellegrini, is unlikely to challenge the executive branch, as Caputova\u00a0did. Notably, the president is responsible for appointing constitutional court judges and has the authority to pardon convicted criminals. With Pellegrini\u2019s victory, the administration\u2019s control of the legislative and executive branches may extend to the presidency.<\/p>\n

Any hope that Fico\u2019s shooting would serve as a wake-up call and unite Slovaks in support of their fledgling democracy has been dashed. Shortly after the assassination attempt, several senior government officials\u00a0suggested\u00a0that the media played a role in radicalising the prime minister\u2019s shooter, telling journalists to look in the mirror. Fico\u2019s address has made it abundantly clear that the government intends to use this tragedy to suppress the opposition and independent media, enabling it to pass controversial laws with little pushback.<\/p>\n

Fico\u2019s shooting could also fuel political violence across Europe and beyond, as populists around the world push for peace in Ukraine at the expense of Ukraine\u2019s territorial integrity. In the days following the assassination attempt, Michal Simecka, the leader of Slovakia\u2019s main pro-democracy opposition party, and Polish Prime Minister\u00a0Donald Tusk both\u00a0received\u00a0death threats.<\/p>\n

But while Fico appears emboldened, the government might be overestimating how long it can maintain its current policy course, given Slovakia\u2019s heavy reliance on its trading partners, allies and international investors. The\u00a0looming threat\u00a0of losing crucial EU funds could constrain the government\u2019s illiberal reforms, especially as Slovakia faces increased pressure from\u00a0soaring energy prices\u00a0and the EU\u2019s reformed Stability and Growth Pact, with its rigid debt-reduction targets.<\/p>\n

Moreover, Slovakia\u2019s shift from legacy car manufacturing to electric vehicles will demand fresh inflows of foreign capital. But the ongoing political turbulence has diminished the economy\u2019s international appeal and undermined its\u00a0fiscal prospects, driving young Slovaks to seek opportunities abroad.<\/p>\n

Even if Fico\u2019s shooting bolsters his political support, the opposition and the media must continue to scrutinize and challenge the ruling coalition. Amid a recent spate of government bills aimed at eroding Slovakia\u2019s remaining democratic safeguards, sustained international pressure is more important than ever.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Just as Slovakia entered a moratorium on public speeches and campaigning ahead of this month\u2019s European Parliament elections, Prime Minister Robert Fico\u00a0delivered\u00a0his first public remarks since he was seriously injured in an assassination attempt in …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1680,"featured_media":87492,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[959,3878,3715],"class_list":["post-87491","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-eu","tag-russia-ukraine-war","tag-slovakia"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSlovakia's anti-democratic government is doubling down | The Strategist<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/slovakias-anti-democratic-government-is-doubling-down\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Slovakia's anti-democratic government is doubling down | The Strategist\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Just as Slovakia entered a moratorium on public speeches and campaigning ahead of this month\u2019s European Parliament elections, Prime Minister Robert Fico\u00a0delivered\u00a0his first public remarks since he was seriously injured in an assassination attempt in ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/slovakias-anti-democratic-government-is-doubling-down\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Strategist\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ASPI.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-06-18T22:57:45+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2152712731.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"617\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Sona Muzikarova\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ASPI_org\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ASPI_org\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Sona Muzikarova\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/\",\"name\":\"The Strategist\",\"description\":\"ASPI's analysis and commentary site\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/slovakias-anti-democratic-government-is-doubling-down\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2152712731.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/GettyImages-2152712731.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":617,\"caption\":\"Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is being seen during the governmental consultations with the Ukrainian delegation in Michalovce, Slovakia, on April 11, 2024. 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