Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was shot after a political event on the afternoon of May 15. Sources indicate that he underwent emergency surgery and is now out of life-threatening condition. However, this violent incident may temporarily disrupt his decades-long political career. So, what kind of politician is Fico?
Fico, now 59, was born in September 1964 in the then Communist-ruled Czechoslovak Socialist Republic (now Slovakia). His father was a forklift operator, and his mother worked in a shoe store. Fico has a brother and a sister, making a total of three siblings.
In 1986, Fico graduated from university with a law degree specializing in criminal law. He went on to work at the Slovak Academy of Sciences and Institute of Law, joining the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia in 1987.
In 1988, Fico got married to a fellow university student who later became a lawyer and associate professor of law. The couple has a son together.
The democratic movement in Eastern Europe in 1989 led to the “Velvet Revolution” in Czechoslovakia, leading to the collapse of the Communist regime. In 1990, the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic was renamed to the Czechoslovak Federative Republic. The Slovak Communist Party evolved into the Party of the Democratic Left (SDL).
In 1992, following the dissolution of the former Soviet Union, Czechoslovakia peacefully split into two independent countries, the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic. Fico, as a member of the SDL, became a member of the Slovak Parliament for the first time.
In the late 1990s, Fico worked for several years representing Slovakia at the European Court of Human Rights and the European Commission on Human Rights. In 1999, he left the SDL and founded a new party, “Direction – Social Democracy Party” (Smer), serving as its chairman, advocating for a third way. He has been a key figure in the Smer party ever since. Smer is often described as left-wing populist.
Apart from his native Slovak language, Fico is fluent in English and Russian.
In 2006, under Fico’s leadership, the Smer party won 29.1% of the vote in the Slovak National Council elections. After forming a coalition government with two other center-left political parties, Fico became the Prime Minister for the first time. During his tenure, he strongly opposed the establishment of new anti-ballistic missile and radar systems by the United States in the Czech Republic and Poland.
In 2010, while the Smer party continued to win the Slovak National Council elections, Fico’s government majority decreased, preventing him from forming a government. He handed over power to a center-right opposition alliance. The center-right alliance held pro-American and pro-Western positions, opposed Chinese dominance, and supported freedom and democracy in Taiwan.
In 2012, Fico initiated a motion of no confidence against the center-right coalition government, which succeeded, leading to early elections. In the elections, the Smer party won 44.4% of the vote and secured 83 out of 150 seats in the Slovak National Council. This allowed Fico to form the first majority government since Slovakia’s independence and serve as Prime Minister for the second time.
In 2014, Fico ran for the Slovak presidential elections but was unsuccessful.
In 2016, the Smer party again emerged victorious in the parliamentary elections, and Fico became the Slovak Prime Minister for the third time.
In 2018, following the murder of investigative journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée, Fico and his government resigned amid nationwide protests. Kuciak had been reporting on tax crimes involving high-ranking Slovak politicians and investigating connections between top government officials and the Italian Mafia.
In 2023, Fico and the Smer party won the parliamentary elections again with a platform that leaned towards Russia and against the United States, but their vote share was only 22.94%. Fico formed a center-left coalition government for the fourth time and resumed his role as the Prime Minister of Slovakia.
Upon his return to power, Fico’s new government immediately halted the provision of weapons to Ukraine. This decision sparked large-scale protests across Slovakia, with thousands of people taking to the streets multiple times to oppose Fico’s pro-Russian stance and other policies, including amendments to criminal law to abolish the position of special anti-corruption prosecutor and plans to control public media.
Fico has become the longest-serving Prime Minister of Slovakia, and his return to office has raised concerns among critics who fear that he and his Smer party may lead Slovakia further away from a pro-American and pro-Western trajectory. Fico has pledged to pursue a “sovereign” foreign policy and has shown appreciation towards communist China, as well as having positive attitudes towards pro-Beijing Brazil and the Vatican.
Fico and the Smer party have long been plagued by scandals. In addition to the 2018 journalist murder case, Fico faced criminal charges in 2022 for alleged involvement in “forming a criminal group” and “abuse of power.”