Smer chair Robert Fico (c) and Smer MEP Monika Beňová (l) during a press conference on October 1, 2023. (source: TASR - Pavol Zachar)
Smer and Hlas, two of the political parties that will form the next Slovak government in coalition with the ultranationalist SNS party, have been suspended from the Party of European Socialists (PES) over their publicly expressed stances.
“The Presidency ruled to suspend the membership of Smer (full membership) and Hlas (associate membership),” the PES Presidency wrote in a press release on October 12, which was the first anniversary of a homophobic terrorist attack that left two queer people dead in Bratislava.
Smer, led by Robert Fico, came first in the parliamentary election on September 30. Hlas, chaired by former Smer member Peter Pellegrini, came third and announced its decision to join forces with Smer to form a government coalition on October 10.
The PES Presidency explained that its decision to suspend Smer was taken “following the clear divergence from the values of the PES family demonstrated by Smer leader Robert Fico”.
Back in March, the PES Presidency expressed concern about Smer’s positions on the war in Ukraine. Unlike Hlas, Smer has repeatedly said that Slovakia will not send any weapons to Ukraine if Smer comes to power.
SNS is seen as a problem
The president of the European socialists, Stefan Löfven, who is a former prime minister of Sweden, threatened Smer with expulsion over its rhetoric in an interview with a Swedish daily newspaper. The interview was published online on the day of Slovakia's election.
In response, Fico called Löfven’s words “undemocratic” and compared them to blackmail.
PES also expressed concern about the emerging Slovak government. Smer and Hlas plan to rule in coalition with the far-right and pro-Russian politicians grouped in the SNS party.
In 2006, PES suspended Smer for two years after it previously formed a coalition government with SNS.
When Pellegrini was asked on Tuesday if he was not scared of his party being expelled from PES, he joked that Hlas could not be expelled because it is not a full member. On Thursday, Hlas expressed its surprise at PES’ decision.
Smer leader Robert Fico responded to the decision of PES in his video from October 13. A segment that is aimed for PES has got English subtitles.
“If you intend to keep scolding us for [our left-wing] politics, you do not understand real life,” Fico said.
Possible suspension for Smer MEPs
The latest PES decision has also been embraced by the Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament.
“The memorandum of understanding signed by all three parties is not compatible with the progressive values and principles of the European family of Socialists and Social Democrats,” the group wrote in a statement.
The group slammed Smer and Hlas for their positions on the war in Ukraine, migration, the rule of law and the LGBT+ community.
Fico has a long track record of anti-Muslim views and recently threatened to use force against refugees crossing the Slovak-Hungarian border. For his part, Pellegrini authorised and featured personally on explicitly anti-immigration billboards during the election campaign.
On October 11, Fico attacked transgender people, saying that he wants to return to “traditions, to something that is normal and natural”. In September, he said in a campaign video that “we [Smer] only recognise [relationships between] a man and a woman”.
The S&D Group may suspend the membership of Smer’s three MEPs - Monika Beňová, Katarína Roth Neveďalová and Robert Hajšel – next week.
