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Fico’s security huddle
Prime Minister Robert Fico among the public during the Slovak government’s off-site session in Handlová on Thursday, 15 May 2025. (source: TASR - Ján Krošlák)
Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer) convened a session of the Security Council on Thursday, May 15, in response to what he described as a sharp increase in hate speech and a high likelihood of another attack on a public official.
“In light of the sharp rise in hateful rhetoric and the high probability of another attack on a public figure, as well as potential physical altercations in society, I am compelled to convene the Security Council and subsequently bring this serious issue to the government’s attention,” Fico wrote in a letter on Tuesday.
The Security Council meeting, held on the first anniversary of the assassination attempt on Fico, took place at the Government Office in Bratislava and lasted for roughly one hour.
The source of hatred: According to a poll conducted for the Sme daily, most Slovaks blame the government of Robert Fico for the current state of society – not the media or the opposition, as Fico and his coalition often claim.
No information: Although Prime Minister Fico, who frequently criticises the media and the opposition, described the situation as serious, neither he nor any other relevant official shared any details with the public following the Thursday meeting. The public learned more during the government’s away-from-Bratislava session in Handlová, where cabinet members outlined plans to increase protection for “public figures” – including themselves.
No-show: President Peter Pellegrini and Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok (Hlas) did not attend the Security Council session, a move that may indicate how seriously they view the situation.
Šutaj Eštok draws inspiration: Although he did not attend the meeting due to a work trip to the UAE, Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok announced plans to draft a new law aimed at tackling online hate speech. He said he wants to take inspiration from legislation in countries such as Germany and Austria.
Pellegrini’s gospel: “If we expect peace and decency to come to Slovakia from above, brought by politicians through their personal example, we will clearly be waiting in vain,” President Peter Pellegrini wrote on Facebook. According to opposition MP Igor Matovič (Slovensko), Pellegrini has been spending recent days aboard a yacht in Croatia “full of young men”. Pellegrini’s office later confirmed this claim.
Political show: After the Security Council meeting, Smer MPs Tibor Gašpar, Richard Glück and Government Office head Juraj Gedra held a press conference, claiming hate speech had risen by 239 percent since the assassination attempt. Gašpar cited security service data and accused the media, especially Denník N, of fuelling hostility. He repeated claims against an activist allegedly promoting hate speech against the prime minister. The man was initially not charged, but police changed their stance later that day. Smer figures also linked him to the Nazi Edelweiss unit due to a badge he wore. Denník N noted that the Edelweiss narrative mirrors Russian propaganda, which falsely associates Ukraine’s Edelweiss brigade with Nazi forces. The term has a longer, apolitical military history in Central Europe. Although Gašpar has long criticised hostility towards Fico, he has previously downplayed threats against journalists and opposition politicians, saying he “understands” people who feel the need to “vent”. Gašpar held the post of police chief at the time of investigative journalist Ján Kuciak’s murder.
From left: Defence Committee chair Richard Glück, Deputy Speaker Tibor Gašpar and Government Office head Juraj Gedra, all from Smer, at a press conference following an emergency Security Council meeting in Bratislava on Thursday, 15 May 2025. (source: TASR - Pavel Neubauer)
Matovič accuses Fico of sowing hatred: In a statement marking the anniversary of the assassination attempt on Prime Minister Robert Fico, opposition MP Igor Matovič claimed that the ruling Smer party is using the attack to cast its leader as a martyr, deflecting from what he described as the government’s failures in managing the country. “Smer has decided to portray its chairman as a martyr harmed by hatred, masking its own shortcomings,” Matovič said. He argued that it is in fact Fico who has long been spreading hatred in Slovak society. “There is no one in politics who has used more vulgar language, no one who stirs up fear more often, and no one who defends acts of violence against others more readily than Robert Fico,” he said, “He sowed hatred in society, and a year ago, he reaped the bitter fruit.” The opposition criticised Thursday’s Security Council meeting, with one of its leaders describing it as a farce.
Fico returns to Handlová: Prime Minister Robert Fico returned to the central Slovak town of Handlová, where he survived an assassination attempt a year ago. The event, however, resembled more of a rally for his Smer party supporters than a commemorative gathering. The programme opened with a video montage of the May 2024 shooting. Several Smer representatives took the stage, including MEP Ľuboš Blaha, who praised Fico’s recent visit to Moscow. Attendees were shown a selectively edited video portraying what organisers described as “intense hatred” directed at the prime minister. In his speech, Fico criticised President Peter Pellegrini as well as Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok, a partner in the governing coalition. He declared his intention to win the next election and made several personal remarks, including that he still suffers from diarrhoea, which he attributed to injuries from the shooting. Fico concluded his appearance with a performance of the folk song Na Kráľovej holi.
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Free events: Bratislava offers a trio of free cultural delights this weekend.
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ARCHITECTURE
The house that time didn’t change
Villa of Dr Mokrý in Topoľčany (source: Matej Hakár)
Eugen Rosenberg, the architect behind Gatwick Airport, left a quieter yet profound legacy in his Slovak hometown. Tucked away in Topoľčany, the villa of Dr Viktor Mokrý stands as a pristine example of interwar modernism — still inhabited by the original family and largely unknown beyond architectural circles.
IN OTHER NEWS
Rail traffic on Slovakia’s main east-west corridor via Poprad could partially resume overnight Friday, after days of disruption caused by a damaged bridge beam. Replacement buses will continue to operate between Poprad and Spišská Nová Ves until full service is restored.
The Milan Šimečka Foundation has launched a fundraising campaign, saying its name is costing it funding, partnerships and work. The 34-year-old NGO questioned why the government appears uncomfortable with fighting extremism, remembering the Holocaust and supporting vulnerable groups.
Around 650 people gathered outside Slovakia’s Culture Ministry on Thursday for a protest dubbed “Folklore for the Support of Art”, accusing Culture Minister Martina Šimkovičová of undermining the country’s cultural sector.
Slovakia’s government approved changes to its EU-backed recovery plan during an off-site meeting in Handlová, greenlit by Brussels. Around €450 million will be reallocated, with a significant share earmarked for hospitals and kindergartens.
KBC Group is acquiring a 98.45 percent stake in Slovakia’s 365.bank from J&T Finance Group for €761 million, bolstering its regional footprint through its subsidiary ČSOB. The deal, expected to close by the end of 2025 pending regulatory approval, will see ČSOB’s market share in loans and mortgages jump to around 20 percent.
The European Parliament Office and European Commission Representation in Slovakia are set to relocate to a new “European House” on Hurbanovo Square in central Bratislava from 2027.
The historic Sennyey manor house in the village of Biel, Trebišov district. Originally completed in 1781 in Baroque style and later remodelled with Rococo-Classical elements, the U-shaped building served various public functions in the 20th century before falling into disrepair. A partial renovation, co-funded by a Slovak-Hungarian cross-border programme between 2007 and 2013, has turned the central section into a museum and library. (source: TASR - Roman Hanc)
FRIDAY WEATHER BRIEFING: Changeable, with occasional spells of heavier cloud. Rain or showers in places, more frequent across the Žilina Region. Snowfall possible from around 700 metres in the morning, rising to about 1,400 metres later in the day. Rather chilly. Daytime highs between 13°C and 18°C, but just 8°C to 13°C in the Žilina Region, Upper Spiš and Horehronie. (SHMÚ)
HAPPY NAME DAY: May 16 is a special day for Svetozár, so if you know one, don’t forget to send your warmest wishes. Všetko najlepšie!
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