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☆ Slovakia's populist ex-PM Fico seals coalition deal for new government
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Jason Hovet | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SMER-SSD party leader Robert Fico arrives to the party's headquarters, after the country's early parliamentary elections, in Bratislava, Slovakia, October 1, 2023. REUTERS/Eva Kornikova/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsOct 16 (Reuters) - Slovak former prime minister Robert Fico and his party signed a coalition deal on Monday to form a new government expected to go slow on cutting high deficits and reduce support to neighbour Ukraine. Fico said his priorities would include boosting living standards and a foreign policy consistent with Slovakia's EU and NATO membership - but focused on protecting national interests. Fico has a tense relationship with Caputova, whom he has called a U.S. puppet acting as U.S. financier and philanthropist George Soros' proxy. Reporting by Jason Hovet in Prague; editing by Alex Richardson, Mark Heinrich and Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Robert Fico, Eva Kornikova, Viktor Orban, Zuzana Caputova, Fico, Caputova, George Soros, opposition's, Jason Hovet, Alex Richardson, Mark Heinrich, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: REUTERS, Ukraine, Hungarian, Kyiv, Democracy, Slovak National Party, European Union, NATO, EU, Thomson Locations: Bratislava, Slovakia, Slovak, Ukraine, Fico, U.S, Poland, Prague

☆ Slovakia's Fico strikes deal on coalition after election win
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Jan Lopatka | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

A Fico-led government would move Slovakia closer to Hungary at a time when the European Union and other Western countries have tried to keep unity on support for Ukraine. The memorandum did not specify any foreign policy details. He has not been specific on commercial supplies from the country's defence industry which include ammunition and heavy equipment makers. Prior to the election, also said he wanted to re-negotiate a defence cooperation treaty with Washington. Reporting by Jan Lopatka and Jason Hovet in Prague; Editing by Emelia Sithole-MatariseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Robert Fico, Zuzana Caputova, Radovan Stoklasa, Fico, Viktor Orban, Jan Lopatka, Jason Hovet, Emelia Sithole Organizations: REUTERS, EU's, Ukraine Coalition, Ukraine, Democracy, European Union, Justice, SNS, NATO, Washington, EU, Hungarian, Diplomats, Thomson Locations: Bratislava, Slovakia, Ukraine, Russia, Hungary, Slovak Republic, Prague

☆ Slovaks choose between pro-Russian ex-PM Fico and pro-Western liberals
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( Jan Lopatka | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BRATISLAVA, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Slovaks were voting on Saturday in a parliamentary election closely fought between former leftist prime minister Robert Fico, who has pledged to end military aid for neighbouring Ukraine, and pro-Western liberals. He has kept his options open but said this week his party was closer to Fico. Fico has ridden on dissatisfaction with a bickering centre-right coalition whose government collapsed last year, triggering this election a half-year early. Fico has pledged to end military supplies to Ukraine, and to strive for peace talks. But Fico was also a pragmatic leader in the past, which foreign diplomats and analysts say could tame his foreign policy turn.

Persons: Robert Fico, Fico, Fico's, Michal Simecka, Peter Pellegrini, Michal Vasecka, Viktor Orban, Jan Lopatka, David W, Cerny, Peter Graff Organizations: Ukraine, Democracy, European, Thomson Locations: BRATISLAVA, Ukraine, Slovakia, Hungary, European, Poland, Progressive Slovakia, Russia, Brussels, Prague, Bratislava

☆ 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

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