In Slovakia, the violent act similarly saw a unified response from the country鈥檚 deeply divided political leaders. But how long this lasts is uncertain. Just as outgoing Slovakian president 鈥 and Fico rival 鈥 Zuzana Caputova to the 鈥渧icious circle of hatred and mutual accusations,鈥 Fico allies for whipping up tensions.
As an , I have been interested in how liberal social movements in Slovakia have reacted to the rise of populist rhetoric and policy that Fico exemplified. This research has laid bare not only the increasing move to the right of once center and center-right politicians, but also how this has helped create a polarized political environment.
Who is Robert Fico?
Robert Fico has long been a controversial figure in Slovakia, a and a member of the European Union.
A former member of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, Fico and his colleagues founded the Party SMER, or 鈥淒irection,鈥 in the late 1990s as a leftist party that was critical of Slovakia鈥檚 right-wing government at the time. The party also maintained an message and used this to gain popularity in the early 2000s, becoming one of the most dominant parties in Slovak politics.
Fico . But it is since returning to power in 2012 that he has been seen as a polarizing figure in Slovak politics.
In 2018, Fico was following the , in their apartment just outside of Bratislava, Slovakia鈥檚 capital.
Prior to his murder, Kuciak alleged that SMER was engaged in corruption involving the Italian Mafia and the embezzlement of EU funds. In 2020, five people, one of whom had with the murders.
Fico these corruption charges. Yet the murders and accusations of corruption led to mass protests against the government and continue to resonate today.
Polarized politics
Despite Fico鈥檚 resignation over the issue, the country continued to be politically polarized.
In 2019, of the party Progressive Slovakia was elected as the first female president. But a year later, Slovakia saw the election of the most conservative parliament in modern Slovak history.
This Caputova鈥檚 liberal agenda against the right-wing parties in government.
Right-wing parties have allied with the Catholic Church and conservative organizations to attack gender equality measures and .
The focus on culture war issues has been accompanied by a coarsening of the political debate in Slovakia.
Hateful rhetoric is commonly used in political campaigns to oppose women鈥檚 rights, gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights. This rhetoric has .
And even before the attack on Fico, there was evidence that the heightened rhetoric was developing into politically motivated violence. In 2022, two members of the LGBTQ+ community at a bar in Bratislava of the far right.
Nevertheless, Fico continued to rely on populist rhetoric opposing civil liberties in his 2023 election campaign.
By then, he had public health measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This was followed by his widely publicized after Russia鈥檚 2022 invasion. At a time when some of Slovakia鈥檚 closest allies, such as Poland and Czechia, wholeheartedly supported Ukraine鈥檚 efforts against Russian aggression, Fico ran on a campaign of supporting Hungary鈥檚 Viktor Orban and Vladimir Putin鈥檚 politics against the West.
This messaging proved popular and allowed him to return to power in 2023, with his populist party and becoming the largest party in a right-wing coalition government.
An attack on democracy
Since returning to power, Fico has shown no desire to dial down the culture wars that have split Slovakian society. Rather, his primary focus has been on abolishing and that have been critical of his policies.
In February 2024, he moved to and abolish the special prosecutor鈥檚 office that investigates corruption 鈥 a decision that not only drew rebuke from the European Union but also brought Slovaks back out into the streets in protest.
He has also made moves to Slovak Television and Radio, or STVR, and replace it with a state-run TV channel.
Taken together, Fico鈥檚 efforts to curb civil liberties and repress opposition have been seen as part of a process to transform Slovakia into an , much in the mold of Orban鈥檚 Hungary.
There is much yet to learn about the motivations and circumstances surrounding the assassination attempt on Fico. But officials have said that ,鈥 linking it to his divisive policies.
Any display of political violence is, as , an attempt to undermine democracy. In Slovakia, where political polarization is high, these divisive politics have been shown to, unfortunately, lead to violent outcomes.
, Professorial Lecturer of Politics, Governance & Economics,
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