Prime Minister Robert Fico speaks during a media conference regarding Ukraine's decision to halt Russian gas supplies to Europe, at the Slovak Representation in Brussels, Thursday, January 9, 2025. (source: Virginia Mayo)
Populist Prime Minister Robert Fico shocked Europe this month by becoming the only EU head of government to attend Moscow’s Victory Day celebrations on 9 May 2025, marking the 80th anniversary of Nazi Germany’s defeat. The move drew sharp criticism from several of his European counterparts and from the EU’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas of Estonia, who described it as a betrayal of European unity amid Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
Fico has led Slovakia three times since 2006 and is known for his pro-Russian stances, anti-liberal rhetoric, and attacks on independent media. He returned to power in October 2023.
Fico responded with characteristic defiance on his Instagram and Facebook accounts – and took the unusual step of posting in English on his X profile, a platform he is increasingly using to reach a global audience.
“X is barely used in Slovakia. There’s no domestic audience for him to reach here,” said Samo Marec, a contributor to the newspaper Sme and an X user. Marec, a frequent critic of the prime minister, believes Fico is addressing a foreign audience, attempting to present himself as an anti-EU stalwart in the mould of Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, the long-serving Hungarian prime minister who has cultivated close ties with Russia and often defies Brussels. “On X, he talks to the world,” Marec added.
Hungarian journalist Csaba Tóth suggests the goal may be to build soft power by cultivating the image of an “anti-globalist leader”.
