Students at Bílikova Gymnázium in Bratislava dress as pensioners, holding a sign reading "I love Fico" on October 31, 2024. (source: Facebook/Adolf Snehuliak)
A Bratislava high school hosted a Halloween party before the autumn break, with students arriving in various costumes. One group dressed as pensioners, with a student holding a sign reading “I love [Prime Minister Robert] Fico” — a nod to a viral video featuring a supporter of the Smer party.
However, the school on Bílikova Street now faces threats over a photo of these students dressed as pensioners, which has been circulating on social media. The pensioner costume went on to win the school’s costume competition, but the image drew criticism from Matúš Šutaj Eštok, the interior minister and leader of the coalition party Hlas. Eštok, who has refused to resign following a shooting targeting PM Fico in May, frequently invokes the incident in situations he believes mock the prime minister. Just last month, Eštok also criticised a comedian who joked about the attack.
“I condemn any mockery of pensioners for their political beliefs,” Eštok declared on Sunday, November 3.
Some pensioners are upset
The interior minister framed the costume as a contributor to rising social tensions infiltrating schools, which he attributes to ‘progressive’ opposition politicians. PM Fico has repeatedly blamed the ‘progressive’ opposition for the shooting attack, even when he has not represented a single piece of evidence to prove his claim. In his online statement, the interior minister with a huge following included an unblurred image of the students, exposing them to potential risks.
The photo was first published by an anti-government satire page on Facebook.
The Halloween costume also upset Slovakia’s Union of Pensioners, which sent a formal letter to the school principal. “Using age and potential political preferences as a tool for ridicule starkly contradicts the values of respect and dignity that should underpin every educational institution and our society,” wrote the union’s president, Michal Kotian.
In Slovakia, pensioners are generally seen as strong supporters of Smer and Fico, who often pledges social guarantees for them. Hlas, Smer’s coalition partner, holds a similar reputation; founded by Smer defectors, the party had been led by President Peter Pellegrini until May. This year, the Union of Pensioners also endorsed Pellegrini’s presidential campaign.
The school rejects criticism
School principal Daniel Kasala dismissed the criticism from both the minister and the pensioners’ union, calling the situation ‘absurd’. “Many costumes, including this one, offered light-hearted humour and respect, not mockery or denigration,” he stated. In light of threats he and the school received over the weekend, Kasala has reported the matter to the police.
Smer MP Dušan Jarjabek urged pensioner staff at the school to demand Kasala’s dismissal over the ‘parody’ of the elderly. Jarjabek accused the principal of ‘generational ageism’.
Meanwhile, the students apologised for the costume, calling the episode a misunderstanding. Education Minister Tomáš Drucker, a colleague of the interior minister, welcomed their apology. “I believe that there must be room in our society for young people’s humour, satire and fun,” he said. Drucker also expressed hope that adults threatening the school might take inspiration from the students’ ability to apologise.
Opposition MP Martin Šmilňák of the Christian Democratic Movement, a former principal, criticised Šutaj Eštok. “Such pressure, especially from the interior minister, recalls the authoritarian practices of communism, when people were persecuted and silenced for their views or humour,” he said, as quoted by Denník N.
One of the high school students also voiced frustration, saying, “They [critics] interpreted the costume to fit their political narrative,” as quoted by Denník N.
