European Socialists will not move against Smer over alleged collaboration with extremists

Eight Slovak MEPs have called for excluding Smer from the socialist faction.

Robert FicoRobert Fico (Source: TASR)

The opposition party Smer will most likely not be punished on the European level for its recent union with the far-right parties.

Eight MEPs led by Martin Hojsík and Michal Šimečka of Progressive Slovakia turned to the Party of European Socialists (PES), asking it to draw consequences “for the cooperation of Smer with fascist parties”, and exclude it from the faction. They referred to the fact that the party is organising a protest on September 1 in Košice together with Republika, a movement created by the renegades from the far-right Kotlebovci – People’s Party Our Slovakia (ĽSNS).

SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement
SkryťTurn off ads
Article continues after video advertisement

SkryťTurn off ads

Though PES confirmed they received the letter, they do not support claims that Smer is working with the extremists, so they will not take any action, the Aktuality.sk website reported.

The situation is a bit different from the year 2006. At the time, Smer formed a government with the nationalist Slovak National Party (SNS), led at the time by Ján Slota, and the Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) led by Vladimír Mečiar. PES punished it with a two-year suspension of membership.

Protest in Košice

The rest of this article is premium content at Spectator.sk
Subscribe now for full access

I already have subscription - Sign in

Subscription provides you with:
  • Immediate access to all locked articles (premium content) on Spectator.sk
  • Special weekly news summary + an audio recording with a weekly news summary to listen to at your convenience (received on a weekly basis directly to your e-mail)
  • PDF version of the latest issue of our newspaper, The Slovak Spectator, emailed directly to you
  • Access to all premium content on Sme.sk and Korzar.sk

Top stories

Slovakia marks 20 years since joining NATO.

Slovakia marks 20 years in the Alliance.


Daniel Hoťka and 1 more
Píšem or pišám?

"Do ľava," (to the left) I yelled, "Nie, do prava" (no, to the right), I gasped. "Dolšie," I screamed. "Nie, nie, horšie..." My Slovak girlfriend collapsed in laughter. Was it something I said?


Matthew J. Reynolds
Czech biochemist Jan Konvalinka.

Jan Konvalinka was expecting a pandemic before Covid-19 came along.


SkryťClose ad