“Fico’s visit to Moscow was a disgrace for Slovakia,” declared Michal Šimečka, leader of the Progressive Slovakia party and the most prominent rival of Prime Minister Robert Fico, in an interview with POLITICO. “It’s emblematic of a prime minister who appears uninterested in addressing the real issues that Slovaks face. Instead, he’s jetting across the globe to engage with dictators.”
Šimečka emphasized that Slovakia’s opposition is united in its commitment to maintaining the country’s firm orientation within the European Union and NATO. He asserted that Fico’s controversial meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin has galvanized the opposition into action.
“Slovakia is much more than Robert Fico,” Šimečka said. “There are countless citizens who want our country firmly embedded in a free and democratic Europe, fostering constructive relations with our neighbors, advancing shared interests, and contributing to a stronger Europe—which ultimately benefits Slovakia, too.”
The opposition has initiated a no-confidence vote, and if successful, it would trigger a snap general election. A January poll suggests that Progressive Slovakia, a liberal opposition party, currently enjoys 23.9 percent support, making it the most popular political faction in the country. Fico’s ruling Smer party trails behind with 18 percent backing.
Fico himself has hinted that a snap election could be a plausible outcome if his coalition partners—Hlas and the far-right Slovak National Party—cannot resolve their internal disagreements within parliament. His government holds a shaky majority of 76 seats in the 150-member legislature, just five more than the combined opposition and independents, who control 74 seats.
“No matter the outcome, I firmly believe that in a situation where the government operates on an unstable and fragile majority amidst chaos, a snap election is the best option,” Šimečka argued.
Details around the timing of the no-confidence vote remain uncertain, though parliamentary rules dictate it must occur within the next week.
Fico’s controversial meeting with Putin was ostensibly aimed at securing low-cost Russian natural gas for Slovakia after Ukraine halted a key gas transit deal with Gazprom. However, the visit sparked widespread backlash—not only from the Slovak opposition, but also among Slovakia’s European allies. Over the past three years, these allies have painstakingly implemented 15 sanctions packages to hold Moscow accountable for its unprovoked war in Ukraine.
Fico’s office has yet to respond to POLITICO’s request for comment.
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