Prime Minister Robert Fico (source: TASR)
The complaint concerning the statement that it is necessary to “prevent the creation of compact Muslim community in Slovakia” was submitted on January 10 by email, General Prosecutor’s Office’s spokesperson Andrea Predajňová confirmed to the Denník N daily. She added that the matter will be processed “in a standard way and in compliance with the law”.
“The only way to eliminate risks like in Paris and in Germany is to prevent the creation of compact Muslim community in Slovakia,” Fico told the press on January 7, as quoted by Denník N, in response to the New Year’s incident in Cologne. “The idea of multicultural Europe failed and the natural integration of people, who have other way of life, other thinking, other cultural background and, most of all, other religion, is not possible.”
Shortly after these statements, Smer decided to use the words also in its election campaign and started paying for the internet ad saying “R. Fico: We have to prevent the creation of compact Muslim community in Slovakia”. Fico said in the past that they monitor every single Muslim in Slovakia, as reported by Denník N.
Police Corps President Tibor Gašpar does not see any problems with the claims. Everything needs to be perceived in context, he told the Sme daily, adding he does not think a crime was committed.
German politician Aydan Özoguz of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD), however, does not consider the claims standard.
“I am horrified that an EU member state uses the mistakes in Cologne to stir up the hatred against one religious community,” she said, as quoted by Denník N.
The Slovak government is doing the same as a right-wing populist in Germany, specifying that they suspect the whole group and raise concerns from them and refugees to break out of European responsibility. She went on to say that Muslims in Slovakia are afraid of attacks and that Fico is making them out to be chased animals.
