Online event: When Politics Meets Policy: Understanding Fico’s Brussels Strategy

Join us for the Zoom event on 25 February 2026 at 3:00 PM CET

18 February 2026

Slovakia’s energy crisis has become a political opportunity for Prime Minister Robert Fico. While some of his actions may offer short-term gains domestically, his rent-seeking behaviour could erode trust with the EU partners, reduce Slovakia’s influence in policy-making and increase scrutiny over future EU funds allocation.

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In political economy, rent seeking refers to strategies through which political actors try to obtain advantages – such as financial support, regulatory exemptions, or political concessions – not by creating new value but by exerting pressure within institutional frameworks. 

For this online discussion, we invited Michal Vašečka – the author of the recent analysis: How Rent Seeking Drives Fico’s Brussels Strategy. Through his lens, the event will explore:

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