Firm in the Saddle, Fico Is Ready to Raid Slovakia

The Slovak strongman's return to power has many worried about the country's democratic decline

18 October 2023

Albin Sybera

Contributing Editor

Slovakia is poised to have a new government led once again by Robert Fico. With help from a former party member and the extreme right, Fico has been parroting Viktor Orbán’s rhetoric, raising speculation if Bratislava will soon go the same direction as Budapest or stay on calmer terms with the EU.

After securing his coalition deal with his old cabinet colleagues, Robert Fico has not backed down from his aggressive rhetoric, earning a suspension for his Smer from the Party of European Socialists (PES).

Some of the cabinet nominees caused an outcry in the Slovak media over their pro-Kremlin and conspiracy talking points, while concerns are high that Smer will meddle with the judiciary and police, possibly threatening the country’s access to vitally needed EU funds.

While checked by the election result in Warsaw, Fico is still likely to forge ties with Orbán’s Fidesz in Hungary and the Czech populist opposition led by the stained but still strong billionaire Andrej Babiš.

Subscribe

Democratic security comes at a price. What is yours? By subscribing or donating now gain access to analysis, forecasts and scenarios by leading analysts and reporters who monitor democratic risks and develop policy debate from Central Europe on Central Europe.

MonthlyVAT included

€4/month

See all details

  • Full access to articles and all reports in PDF
  • Weekly outlook on democratic security in CEE delivered by e-mail
  • Weekly newsletter with essential highlights
  • Invitations to all Visegrad Insight events online and offline

AnnualVAT included

€40/year

See all details

  • Individual subscribers only. Check our CORPORATE OFFER below
  • 15% Discount (8 EUR off monthly cost if paid annually)
  • Full access to articles and all reports in PDF
  • Weekly outlook on democratic security in CEE delivered by e-mail
  • Weekly newsletter with essential highlights
  • Invitations to all Visegrad Insight events online and offline

Student OR Donation

Choose your contribution

See all details

  • Full access to articles and all reports in PDF
  • Weekly newsletter with essential highlights
  • Some Visegrad Insight events invitations

I am a representative of an institution/business. Is there a corporate offer?

The annual subscription for up to ten institutional users: EUR 999
GO TO CHECKOUT

For a tailor-made offer email us: contact@visegradinsight.eu 

  • Access to all articles for your team
  • Access to all Reports for your team
  • Every Monday a Weekly Outlook with an update on key developments in Central Europe delivered by e-mail
  • Every Thursday a newsletter with the most important highlights and invitations
  • Personal invitations to Visegrad Insight Events
  • Foresight, policy, and risk analysis reports (on-demand)

Intelligence prepared by a group of Visegrad Insight Fellows from all across

Can I receive an invoice?

Yes. You will receive a receipt immediately after purchase and a VAT invoice upon request. The subscription amount includes tax. In case of a donation, there is no tax.

Are my credit card details safe?

Yes. The payment is processed by STRIPE www.stripe.com entrusted also by Amazon, Zoom, Booking.com and used by other global NGOs and businesses in the world. We do not store your credit card details.

How modify or cancel my subscription?

At any moment you can manage your subscription and account details. Sign in to modify or cancel.

Albin Sybera

Contributing Editor

Contributing Editor. Albin is a freelance journalist, consultant and a former clerk at the State Environmental Fund of the Czech Republic. Besides Visegrad Insight, his texts can be also found at Britské listy or Balkan Insight and he is also a news reporter covering Czechia and Slovakia at bne IntelliNews.

Newsletter

Weekly updates with our latest articles and the editorial commentary.