Motion of censorship and massive demonstrations, Slovakia is shaken by a growing dissatisfaction with the Prime Minister Robert Fico, who denounces in return the threat of a “Coup d’etat”.
Tens of thousands of people gathered on Friday evening in the streets of Bratislava and 20 other cities in the country of Central Europe of 5.4 million inhabitants, under the watchword «Démession I am! ».
Over the weeks, “Protests are intensifying”estimates Katarina Malikova, 34 -year -old singer, present in the capital alongside 40,000 to 60,000 Slovaks according to the organizers’ figures. She says she came to stop “The disintegration of democracy” Here and elsewhere, evoking the nomination of Donald Trump in the United States.
The rally, defending belonging to the EU in the face of « danger » A rapprochement with Russia took place after a tense week, marked by a motion of censorship that was ultimately aborted and virulent accusations of Mr. Fico.
“Maidan”
“The Slovak opposition is preparing for a maydan”he launched during the debate in Parliament, in reference to the revolution which brought the pro-Western camp in power in 2014 to kyiv.
She is “Ready to occupy the government in cooperation with foreign interests, in defiance of the results of the elections”he said, brandishing in support of a report by the intelligence services.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and the Liberal Opposition Head, Michal Simecka, January 21, 2025 in Bratislava / Tomas Benedikovic / AFP
The 60 -year -old nationalist official summoned a meeting of the Security Council in the process, not hesitating to speak of “Preparation of a coup” – a situation “Very serious” et “Unprecedented”.
“It’s a story mounted from scratch” pour “Intimide us”reacted on Facebook the collective of citizens “Peace for Ukraine”on the initiative of demonstrations. In reality, according to them, “The real threat comes from the interference maneuvers of his friend (Vladimir) Putin”.
Since his return to power in October 2023 for the fourth time, Robert Fico, one of the rare EU leaders near the Kremlin, has undertaken to tighten links with Moscow and stopped military deliveries to Ukraine that He vilified regularly.
Instead of taking care of the country’s problems, “He travels around the world, prostrating himself in front of dictators and complacent in luxury”castigated the chief of the liberal opposition Michal Simecka, ironic on his recent stays in Russia and Vietnam.
Derivative “Authoritarian”
In this context, some already evoke the possibility of early elections.
The government coalition, which has a narrow majority in parliament (79 seats out of 150), is « fragile »comments for AFP Pavol Hardos, professor of political science at the Comenius University of Bratislava, even “If she shouldn’t fall” in the immediate future.
Robert Fico, at the head of the Smer-SD party, combined with a formation that dissenting in 2020 called HLAS and the far-right SNS party, on the same line as it in many areas.

Demonstration against the nationalist government of Robert Fico, on January 24, 2025 in Bratislava in Slovakia / Tomas Benedikovic / AFP
In the event of a new ballot, the expert predicted “A strengthening of polarization” In the country, where tensions have been at the highest since the assassination attempt by Robert Fico in May 2024.
A letter signed by several hundred psychiatrists and psychologists are concerned about the current climate, calling the head of government to “Modify your behavior”.
“Your actions generate negative emotions and divide society”write the authors, deploring “Manipulation of facts”, ” lies “ et “Attacks” repeatedly against opposition and the media.
They also denounce a drift “Authoritarian” on the model of Hungary neighboring Viktor Orban and a foreign policy that will “Against the values of the EU and NATO”.
“Mr. Fico is very aggressive and that disrupts me. He has lost all rationality and should leave public space ”said to AFP Jozef Betak, 49 -year -old telecom specialist, in the middle of the crowd of protesters. “We cannot remain silent, otherwise nothing will change”.
In 2018, Robert Fico had been forced to resign after the assassination of a journalist investigating high level corruption, Jan Kuciak, who had triggered the biggest demonstrations since the fall of communism in 1989.
(tagstotranslate) Slovakia (T) Politics