Tens of thousands rally in Slovakia against PM’s Russia policies

Tens of thousands of people in almost 30 cities across Slovakia protested on Friday evening to demand the resignation of left-wing nationalist Prime Minister Robert Fico.

Organizers said 60,000 people took part in the largest rally in the capital Bratislava, where participants expressed their anger at what they see as the populist politician’s pro-Russia policies.

“Slovakia belongs to Europe. We do not want collaboration with Russia,” said Marian Kulich from civic group Mier Ukrajine (Peace for Ukraine), which spearheaded the protests.

Fico accuses his opponents of spreading falsehoods about an alleged shift in Slovakia’s foreign policy toward Moscow in order to discredit his government.

“This government will never take any steps that could cast doubt on our membership in the European Union and NATO,” he said on Thursday.

But Fico has stopped supplying weapons from Slovakian military stocks to Ukraine and frequently criticizes EU sanctions. He believes the sanctions are hurting Slovakia, which is dependent on Russian gas and oil, more than Moscow.

The anger of critics intensified in late December, when he made a surprise visit to see Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The trip was also not well received by Brussels and other allies of Ukraine.

Fico said the trip centred on supplies of Russian gas to Slovakia. He also floated the idea that his country could host peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.

The demonstrators out on the streets on Friday evening were also fuelled by Fico’s allegation this week that his opponents were plotting a coup, citing a report by the SIS domestic intelligence agency.

Fico said the agency uncovered “structures with links to foreign countries and to the Slovak opposition,” whom he said want to provoke riots and see government buildings occupied.

The opposition accused him of trying to stoke panic to distract from the failure of his government’s policies and improve his standing.