Page 30 - bne_Magazine_April_2018

30 I Central Europe bne April 2018
Robert Fico, Prime Minister of Slovakia, 4 April 2012 – 22 March 2018.
Fico’s resignation fails to stem
growing tide of protests in Slovakia
bne IntelliNews
Demonstrations erupted again in Slovakia on March 16, attract-
ing around 65,000 people in Bratislava alone. The protests were bigger than on the previous Friday, even though Robert Fico of Smer-SD, the dominant figure in Slovak politics for the past 12 years, resigned on March 15 to end a coalition crisis over the murder of journalist Jan Kuciak.
Fico stood down, making way for his deputy Peter Pellegrini (also of Smer- SD), and Slovak President Andrej Kis- ka accepted his resignation and autho- rised Pelligrini, currently deputy prime minister for investments and informa-
www.bne.eu
tion, to form a new government. Fico will remain acting prime minister until the formation of a new government, and he will continue as leader of Smer.
His move didn’t satisfy civil society. “The arrogance of a few powerful people will not defeat us, we will do it together,” said Karolína Farská, one of the organis- ers of the March 16 protests, which took place under the slogan “For a Decent Slovakia”.
Demonstrators were shouting “Enough of Smer” and “Early elections”.
“The revolution started by the parents
has to be finished by their children,” said former politician and ex-presidential candidate František Mikloško.
Although at the political level the crisis might be calming down, civil society
and the public are discontented, which may throw Slovakia into an even deeper crisis. Slovak media are comparing their ex-prime minister to Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of the ruling conservative Law and Justice party in Poland, who is steering the government from behind the scenes.
Fico appeared to confirm these fears on March 15. “Ladies and gentlemen, I am