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☆ Robert Fico, pro-Russian Slovak political heavyweight wins another election
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-01 | by ( Jan Lopatka | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/2] SMER-SSD party leader Robert Fico walks outside his party's headquarters on the day of the country's early parliamentary election in Bratislava, Slovakia, September 30, 2023. Fico, who analysts see inspired by Hungary's Viktor Orban, has said he has Slovak interests at heart and wants the war to end. Born to a working-class family, Fico graduated with a law degree in 1986 and joined the then-ruling Communist party. "He became the most prominent political representative of a movement against face masks or vaccination," said political analyst Grigorij Meseznikov. Fico also swatted away accusations of graft that have dogged his party during his political career.

Persons: Robert Fico, Eva Korinkova, Michal Vasecka, Fico, Hungary's Viktor Orban, Viktor Orban, Zuzana Caputova, George Soros, Jan Kuciak, Martina Kusnirova, SMER, Grigorij Meseznikov, Jan Lopatka, Michael Kahn, Michael Perry Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, European Union, Institute, Ukraine, NATO, Reuters, Communist, European Court, Human Rights, Democracy, Thomson Locations: Bratislava, Slovakia, Rights BRATISLAVA, European, Brussels, Europe, Ukraine, Russia, Hungary, Hungarian, France, Germany

According to preliminary results released by Slovakia’s Statistical Office at 6 a.m. local time, Robert Fico’s populist SMER party won 23.3% of the vote. While in opposition, Fico became a close ally of Hungary’s Prime Minister Victor Orban, especially when it came to criticism of the European Union. Fico previously served as Slovakia’s prime minister for more than a decade, first between 2006 and 2010 and then again from 2012 to 2018. Kuciak reported on corruption among the country’s elite, including people directly connected to Fico and his party SMER. In the Czech Republic, which used to form one country with Slovakia, 71% of people blame Russia for the war.

Persons: Robert Fico’s, Fico, upend, Peter Pellegrini, Hlas, ”, Pellegrini, Slovakia “, “, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Victor Orban, Orban, Jan Kuciak, Martina Kušnírová, Kuciak, Věra Jourová, GlobSec, – Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, NATO, Slovakia’s, SMER, Progressive, Ukrainian, Ukraine, European Union, Russia, Hungary’s, European, Justice, Kyiv Locations: Slovakia, Ukraine, Progressive Slovakia, Slovak, Kyiv, Brussels, Russia, Bratislava, Baltic, Czech Republic, States

☆ Robert Fico, Pro-Russian Slovak Political Heavyweight Wins Another Election
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Sept. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +5 min

Fico, who analysts see inspired by Hungary's Viktor Orban, has said he has Slovak interests at heart and wants the war to end. Born to a working-class family, Fico graduated with a law degree in 1986 and joined the then-ruling Communist party. Polling under 10%, Fico once sought to address voter fears during the coronavirus pandemic when he slammed government health measures. "He became the most prominent political representative of a movement against face masks or vaccination," said political analyst Grigorij Meseznikov. Fico also swatted away accusations of graft that have dogged his party during his political career.

Persons: Jan Lopatka, Robert Fico, Michal Vasecka, Fico, Hungary's Viktor Orban, Viktor Orban, Zuzana Caputova, George Soros, Jan Kuciak, Martina Kusnirova, SMER, Grigorij Meseznikov, Michael Kahn, Michael Perry Organizations: European Union, Institute, Ukraine, NATO, Reuters, Communist, European Court, Human Rights, Democracy Locations: Jan Lopatka BRATISLAVA, European, Brussels, Europe, Slovakia, Bratislava, Ukraine, Russia, Hungary, Hungarian, France, Germany

☆ Slovakia's election could turn Ukraine's stanchest supporter into a Kremlin ally
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The frontrunner, former Prime Minister Robert Fico, has made no secret of his affinity for the Kremlin during the election campaign. Fico’s left-wing populist SMER party has been leading for months, although opinion polls published earlier this week showed SMER neck-and-neck with the Progressive Slovakia (PS) party. “The approach to Russian war in Ukraine is a divisive line (in the election),” she said. It is also far from certain that the leader of the biggest party will become the prime minister. While in opposition, Fico has also become a close ally of Hungary’s Prime Minister Victor Orban, especially when it comes to criticism of the European Union.

Persons: Robert Fico, Slovakia’s, Zuzana Čaputová, Fico’s, Michal Šimečka, Věra Jourová, ”, Peter Pellegrini, Pellegrini, Fico, Ján Kuciak, Martina Kušnírová, Russia ”, OLaNO, Kyiv’s, “, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Victor Orban, Orban Organizations: CNN, European Union, Kremlin, NATO, Progressive, EU, Kyiv, West ., “, Coalition, Republika, Russia, ”, and Solidarity Party, Independent, Ukraine Fico, Hungary’s, Justice Locations: Ukraine, NATO, American, Progressive Slovakia, Slovakia, “ Slovakia, Russia, Russian, Brussels

☆ A populist leader, sympathetic to Putin's Russia, could be about to win elections in Slovakia
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Robert Fico, chairman of the Slovak Social Democracy (SMER), during an interview at the party headquarters in Bratislava, Slovakia, on Tuesday, April 25, 2023. The central European country of 5.4 million people has been a staunch supporter of Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022. watch nowIn more concrete terms, he has pledged to end all Slovak arms deliveries to Ukraine and resist plans for additional sanctions on Russia. Fico showed pragmatism in his previous terms and largely avoided conflicts with partners in the EU and NATO, Valyaeva added. Trading of critical comments by officials on both sides escalated the dispute, with Poland saying it will no longer supply Ukraine with weapons.

Persons: Robert Fico, Robert Fico —, —, AKO, Smer, Ján Kuciak, Martina Kušnírová, Fico, Slovakia's, SMER, Tatiana Valyaeva, Valyaeva Organizations: Slovak Social Democracy, Bloomberg, Getty, Ukraine, Progressive, NATO, Slovakia —, EU, CNBC, World Trade Organization Locations: Bratislava, Slovakia, Ukraine, Progressive Slovakia, Russia, U.S, Slovak, Soviet, London, Košice, Ukrainian, Poland, Hungary

☆ Slovak election: A NATO country could soon have a pro-Russian leader
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-28 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Fico previously served as Slovakia’s prime minister for more than a decade, first between 2006 and 2010 and then again from 2012 to 2018. Heger continued as a caretaker prime minister but he, too, ended up quitting in May and was replaced by a technocrat, Ludovit Odor. Eduard Heger, pictured in Tallinn, Estonia, in November 2022, resigned as caretaker prime minister in May. In the Czech Republic, which used to form one country with Slovakia, 71% of people blame Russia for the war. “The government took a very quick and firm decision — and I’d say in doing so found itself on the right side of the history — to support Ukraine,” he said.

Persons: Robert Fico’s, Kyiv’s, “, ”, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Fico, Grigorij, Jan Kuciak, Martina Kušnírová, Kuciak, Igor Matovič, Matovič, Eduard Heger, Heger, Ints Kalnins, ” Mesežnikov, “ SMER, GlobSec, —, Dominika Hajdu, Mesežnikov Organizations: CNN, Kremlin, NATO, Institute of Public Affairs, Voters, Independent, Republika, for Democracy, Resilience, Austro, Ukraine, “, it’s, European Union Locations: Slovakia, Russia, Ukraine, Slovak, Moscow, SMER, Tallinn, Estonia, ” Slovakia, Bratislava, Baltic, Czech Republic, States, Hungary, Trianon, “ Slovakia

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