On Tuesday evening, around 10,000 people filled the Freedom Square of Bratislawa, with rallies in several other cities of Slovakia to oppose the policies of Prime Minister Robert Fico’s government, to oppose the policies.
The gymnasium was smaller than the previous week when 16,000 gathered in the capital. On that occasion, the protesters heard four liberal opposition parties, which declare a cooperation deal.
For the expansion of the series of protests that began in late 2023 after Fico returned as Prime Minister.
They are therefore added to the increasing list of challenges – both domestic and international – Strongman’s premiere faced.
International Oprobium
At the international level, focus on FICO’s comfortable relations with Russia and China, which gave rise to early ground -level -led protests.
The European nose was re -excluded from the joint with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping in early September meetings, refusing to stop buying Russian energy and to give Slovak laws for the European Union to push the constitution.
All this, with the powerful clampdown on media and NGOs, has allegedly assured the European Socialist (PES) party to permanently excludes FICO’s nominal left-free smer party from the European Union faction.
Opposition Liberal Progressive Slovakia (PS) party leader Mishal Simeka told DW that the step that PES is expected to confirm in mid -October, “is a significant shock to Mr. Fico’s reputation.”
Domestic issues are more important for Slovac
However, the analyst says that the depth of political polarization in Slovakia means that international issues currently make a mark.
Radoslav Staffnik of the University of Economics at Bratislawa told DW that the step by PES “will not be seen even by SMER voters.”
Domestic issues are clearly the main battleground in Slovakia.
Recent opposition rallies, which have been organized under the banner “protest against weakness!” Squarely targeted in FICO’s economic policies.
They are a reaction to a consolidation package declared by the government, the third set of penance measures since power.
The package, which was approved by Slovakia’s Parliament on Wednesday evening, is a bid to incorporate the country’s economic crisis, a conflict did not help us by Tiffs on Slovakia’s leading auto industry.
It aims to cut € 2.7BN from the budget deficit of 2026. While no one disputes the need to do work, emphasis on increasing taxes and contribution, reducing public sector salary and jobs and cutting social benefits is provoking anger.
Critics say that the package will kill common citizens by sparing the aristocrats associated with Fico’s Sme party. Professional groups complain that it will weaken competitiveness.
Government instability
Some people suggest that widespread anger over the consolidation plan may revive the instability that plagued the three-sided governing alliance since he appeared in the power examination two years ago.
After slipping to a minority earlier this year, to push through demands to take advantage of the government’s thin majority as rebel MPs, Fico stopped his loyalty with ministerial positions, leaving 7 of 150 seats in Parliament with 79.
Adris Tursa of London -based Risk Consultancy Teno Intelligence said in an analysis note that he hoped to argue parliagenary on the package “to” test Fico’s delicate majority “.
Coalition partners upside down to rock the boat
The opposition is eager to use the current situation so that the alliance can be pushed to the edge. But this will not be an easy task.
However, as Simeka says, “Representatives of each party are now publicly upset about the consolidation package,” SMER’s junior coalition partners-core-from HLAS and radical rights areware of Right Slovak National Party-Ve-Veere Rocking, those supports have fallen in the previous election.
None of them want to repeat the situation from 2020 to 2023 when they were in protest, “Stephnic says.
Can voters return liberals?
At the same time, the voters have not forgotten the idea seams, when the coalition combining the governor alliance together by liberal parties together caused chaos.
Asked how they explain to the country that the newly declared cooperation deal will be different, Simeka insisted that the PS “is visiting the region … Talking to the people who voted for Fico’s alliance.”
However, the analyst suggests that the thesis voters-the most poor are related to cohabitation and will feel the economic impacts of the consolidation package, which is more likely to discover parties as the most correct Republicelka than liberal parties.
Link to the past
Regarding this danger, some people in the liberal opposition are trying to use FICO’s supporter-Russian stance to attract a line connecting the controversy on the consolidation package of the 1989 velvet revolution.
Perhaps the most controversial part of the consolidation package is a proposal to dig the two national holidays, one of which is the 17 November celebration of the rebellion that began the fall of the Communist regime, while Czechoslovakia.
Some opposition parties have called for a general strike to mark the date, as it happened 36 years ago.
However, other people are careful among the opposition. It can prove to be a shameful – and extremely expensive – flop.
Supervisors do not show any less doubt. Andrez Matisac for Editor at Slovak Broadshet GratitudeThis idea “unrealistic,” brands, saying that there is no speed to close the speed.
Radoslav Stephnik noted that the mood in the country is much different from today: “At that time, the majority democracy, political freedom and a market economy,” say. “Now the country is polarized, and many people will not join the protest.”
Simka suggests that her PS party will be patient, insisting that it is “ready to challenge Mr. Fico in the upcoming elections, whether in two years or tomorrow.”
Observers suggest that the scheduled date of 2027 is most likely.
Fico already quit power once in 2018, after the journalist Jan Kukiyak’s Munalist, and the political barren ended in the land and faced the prosecution. “He is not going to do this again without a big fight,” says the mother -in -law.
Edited by Angle Flagon