"Fico's reality is constructed like this - with slogans, half-truths and cheap lies. This is his policy - manipulation, Russophilia and cynicism", say critics of the Slovak prime minister and his controversial behavior.
Similar maneuvers are familiar thanks to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban - blocking EU decisions that must be adopted unanimously and promising his supporters that he will never approve them. Then, at the last moment, bowing down and agreeing.
What his country gets in return is still unclear. However, in Hungary, Orbán presents his "fight against Brussels bureaucrats" as a "victory".
Fico - following in Orbán's footsteps
Orbán's close friend, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, has now entered the same game. For weeks, he has claimed that he will not agree to the 18th package of European sanctions against Russia, even if it leads to a "major crisis in the EU".
Fico explained that the sanctions would severely affect Slovakia's economy and, above all, its energy needs. In addition, they would harm the EU itself, but not Russia. The Slovak Prime Minister presented his blockade as a matter of national sovereignty and national pride.
In the end, however, Fico supported the sanctions, noting that although they were "pointless", it was "counterproductive" to vote against them. The Slovak prime minister summed it up as follows: "Whoever lives with wolves must howl with them".
"Theater for local voters"
Fico's surprising turn of events was received with great relief in the EU. But in Slovakia itself, both opposition politicians and many political commentators have been scathing in their criticism of Bratislava's change of position. Some have accused Fico of offending European partners, others of doing Putin a favor, and still others of achieving nothing for Slovakia and isolating the country.
Michal Simečka, leader of the largest Slovak opposition party "Progressive Slovakia", described Fico in a Facebook post as "an amateur, disoriented, confused and unfit for his position and for defending Slovakia's interests". The daily "Sme" Fico's maneuver was called "theater for local voters and to distract people from other problems".
Slovakia and Russian gas
The aim of the 18th EU sanctions package against Russia is to finally put a stop to Russian oil sales to the EU, cut off imports of important raw materials for the Russian arms industry and impose a ban on transactions with Russian banks, which were still allowed until now. Fico and his coalition partners agreed to this, but were against the Brussels plan, called RePowerEU, which, among other things, envisages an end to Russian gas supplies to the EU countries from 2028.
Slovakia requested a derogation, as it has a contract with Gazprom until 2034. The country is completely dependent on Russian gas, but even before Fico agreed to the 18th sanctions package, the EU guaranteed that it would provide assistance to Slovakia. For example, the country will be able to use part of the EU's financial assistance for energy subsidies. In addition, Brussels will help Slovakia in possible legal disputes with Gazprom. Why was this "theater in front of local voters" needed then?
Budget deficit and structural crisis
On the one hand, Slovakia is experiencing serious financial difficulties and is in a deep structural economic crisis. Fico has not been able to deal with these problems so far.
Last year, the budget deficit was 5.3 percent - given that three percent is allowed in the eurozone. Fico's government has taken certain consolidation measures - it increased some taxes and social security contributions, and eliminated some holidays. But at the same time, voters were given expensive gifts such as energy subsidies and a 13th pension. The government is also currently under pressure over a controversial tax on financial transactions.
Export-oriented Slovakia is experiencing great difficulties due to the crisis in the automotive market. The country has factories for "Volkswagen", "Kia", "Jaguar" and "Peugeot", and car production is definitely the most important economic sector. Due to the collapse of the automotive market, competition from China, the decline in sales in the United States and Donald Trump's tariff policy, the Slovak automotive industry is falling into an increasing crisis. And the government has no long-term plan for substantive economic reforms.
Corruption allegations
Fico and his government are also under pressure due to old and new corruption scandals. After the murder of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kushnirova in 2018, Fico had to resign, and since then it has been revealed how deeply connected politics and organized crime are in Slovakia.
After Fico returned to power at the end of 2023, one of the priorities he has been working towards is to end the fight against corruption and remove his opponents. As the editor-in-chief of the portal Aktuality Peter Bardi says, Fico is obsessed with the thought of revenge. The portal recently publicized the scandal surrounding a luxury villa on the Croatian coast, which is probably owned by Fico.
The prime minister himself sees himself surrounded by enemies and as a victim, especially after surviving an assassination attempt in May 2024. According to the prime minister, everyone is involved in the conspiracy against him - the opposition, the independent media, liberalism, the LGBTI community, and the EU.
At the same time, he is seeking protection from Russian President Vladimir Putin, and after a visit to Uzbekistan, he found that the state model there was exemplary. Under the influence of this model, Fico envisages restrictions on the number of parliamentary parties, as well as a ban on all genders except male and female.
Fico's current maneuver to first boycott the EU's anti-Russian sanctions, and then accept them anyway, fits into this policy, notes Slovak publicist Laszlo Barak. "Fico's reality is constructed like this - with slogans, half-truths, and cheap lies. This is his policy - manipulation, Russophilia, and cynicism."