Populist and pro-Russian Prime Minister Robert Fico emerged as the clear winner of the presidential election held on Saturday April 6 in Slovakia. With more than 53% of the votes, the victory of the candidate he supported, Peter Pellegrini, shows that a solid majority of the 5.5 million inhabitants of this small central European country support the authoritarian excesses of its government and Viktor Orban’s policy of imitating Hungary.
“Slovaks showed today that they recognize the threats posed to this country by liberal media, activists, NGOs and progressives”, celebrated Mr. Fico, on the night of Saturday to Sunday, after the victory of his ally in a vote that many had compared to a referendum on the majority in power since October in Bratislava. The Prime Minister also invited commentators ” to write ” that this referendum ” went fine “.
The presidential function is largely honorary in Slovakia, but the head of state can still influence numerous appointments or have bills sent back to Parliament for examination. However, the winner of the vote, Mr. Pellegrini, 48 years old, current president of Parliament, ran his entire campaign promising to work with the government, unlike his opponent, the pro-Western diplomat Ivan Korcok, 60 years old, who wanted to “do everything to ensure that the country remains free and democratic”.
Strong conspiracy and pro-Russian current
With their participation rate never seen since 1999, the presidential election thus provides the legitimacy that Mr. Fico lacked, particularly in the face of the tens of thousands of Slovaks who have been taking to the streets for months to protest against his justice reforms. After having already governed three times between 2006 and 2018, he only became prime minister again after winning only 23% of the votes in the September legislative elections and having had to form a coalition with the far right and the Hlas party. by Mr. Pellegrini.
By celebrating his victory on Saturday evening, the latter once again promised “to support the government in its efforts to improve the lives of the Slovak people”. Mr. Fico, who has been the subject of multiple corruption scandals in the past, has been carrying out massive purges in the judiciary and the police since October, and is now trying to take control of public broadcasting. At the same time, he stopped arms donations to Ukraine, a country he describes as “among the most corrupt in the world”.
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