Fico’s Slovakia: a risk for EU and NATO?

Описание: 07 February 2025
Policy Dialogue

Speakers: Katarína Batková , Executive Director, Via Iuris; Rastislav Káčer, Former Foreign Minister of Slovakia; Juraj Majcin, Policy Analyst, European Policy Centre; Ivan Novotny, Former Slovak Diplomat

Moderator: Eric Maurice, Policy Analyst, European Policy Centre

Since taking office in October 2023, the Slovak government has shown growing determination to reorient the country's foreign policy away from the EU and NATO, and closer to Russia. Prime Minister Robert Fico has blamed EU and NATO countries for the war in Ukraine, stopped military aid to Ukraine and has vowed to oppose its bid to join the EU and NATO. He also met Russia’s president Vladimir Putin in Moscow last December without revealing details of the meeting. Against this backdrop, experienced diplomats and those with strong Euro-Atlantic views are being systematically ousted from the Foreign Ministry in Bratislava, often replaced by individuals with ties to Russian institutions.

Fico’s illiberal policies go beyond the realm of diplomacy. His government has put increasing pressure on the judiciary, media, cultural institutions, civil society organisations, and opposition parties. This has triggered a political crisis. Fico's coalition has lost its parliamentary majority and more than 100,000 Slovaks have recently taken to the streets to protest.

In this online Policy Dialogue, we analysed the illiberal and pro-Russian course followed by the Fico government. We assessed its impact on the EU policies such as support for Ukraine, enlargement, rule of law, as well as the risks it entails for EU security and NATO.

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