2023-10-02 16:09:48
Robert Fico is dependent on other parties to form a government.
Slovakian President Zuzana Caputova has tasked former opposition leader Robert Fico with forming a new government. Her task as head of state is to “respect the results of the democratic elections and ensure the proper functioning of the highest constitutional bodies,” said the liberal politician. After the meeting, Fico explained that he now had two weeks to negotiate.
“It won’t be easy, but we will do everything we can to bring regarding a government,” Fico said. The 59-year-old former prime minister did not want to announce the order in which he would negotiate with the other parties.
Meanwhile, the Slovak Foreign Ministry summoned the Russian ambassador on Monday over election interference by the head of the Russian foreign intelligence service, Sergei Narishkin. He said in a statement that the USA had increased its interference in Slovakia’s internal affairs. This statement was quoted by the Russian news agency TASS on Thursday, when the moratorium banning election was already in force in Slovakia. The ministry rejected Narishkin’s statements in a protest note as “inadmissible interference by the Russian Federation in the electoral process” and also called on Moscow to “stop disinformation activities directed once morest Slovakia.”
Pro-Russian sounds
Fico had campaigned for his Social Democratic Party with pro-Russian tones and won the parliamentary election on Saturday. Fico’s Smer party won almost 23 percent of the vote. Second place was taken by the liberal party “Progressive Slovakia” (PS), which was not previously represented in parliament and led by EU MP Michal Simecka, with 18 percent.
However, it will not be easy for Fico’s Smer party to form a coalition with a sufficient majority. Fico had announced that he wanted to end the arms aid to Ukraine, which was unpopular with the population, and would only support the neighboring country with civilian goods. Almost all other parties elected to parliament, apart from the nationalists, want to stick to this.
The third-placed party “Voice – Social Democracy” (Hlas-SD), led by former Fico deputy Peter Pellegrini, now plays a crucial role in forming a government. It was only founded in 2020 – as a spin-off from Fico’s Smer SSD. Pellegrini has not yet decided on possible coalitions. However, he made it clear on Sunday that he did not want to deviate drastically from the current foreign and EU policy in the event of a coalition. “We will do everything we can to make sure nothing dramatic happens,” Pellegrini said.
Third round
Fico was Slovakia’s head of government from 2006 to 2010 and from 2012 to 2018, twice forming a government with the nationalist Slovak National Party (SNS), which also rejects further military aid for Ukraine.
There are fears in Brussels that the NATO country Slovakia, led by the left-wing populist Fico, might join forces with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. This in turn increases the possibility of a confrontation with the EU over the rule of law, the war in Ukraine and migration issues. However, it is unclear whether and how Fico will actually implement his statements from the election campaign. His pragmatism during his three previous terms in office, when he led Slovakia into the euro and largely avoided clashes with EU and NATO partners, allays some concerns.
Caputova emphasized on Monday that the election was “democratic and in accordance with the law” and that she was happy that, despite some fears expressed before the election, no one now doubts this. The President also called for mutual respect and expressed the hope that the election result will not change Slovakia’s values or common efforts to build a fair and democratic society.
Just a few years ago, Fico’s political career was considered over. After the murder of journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kusnirova, there were mass protests once morest the government, and Fico ultimately resigned. Kuciak had researched connections between the Italian mafia and state officials close to Smer. (APA)
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