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Fico's Fourth Cabinet

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Fourth Cabinet of Robert Fico

Government of Slovakia
Date formed25 October 2023
People and organisations
President of SlovakiaZuzana Čaputová until 15 June 2024
Peter Pellegrini from 15 June 2024
Head of governmentRobert Fico
Head of government's history2006–2010, 2012–2018, 2023–present
Deputy head of government
No. of ministers17
Member parties
Status in legislatureMajority (coalition)
76 / 150 (51%)




Opposition parties
Opposition leaderMichal Šimečka
History
Election2023 Slovak parliamentary election
PredecessorÓdor's Cabinet

Fico's Fourth Cabinet is the incumbent government of Slovakia. It is a three-party coalition government composed of Direction – Social Democracy, Voice – Social Democracy and the Slovak National Party.

It was appointed on 25 October 2023 by President Zuzana Čaputová following the 2023 Slovak parliamentary election.[1][2] The National Council passed a vote of confidence in the government on 21 November 2023.[3]

Composition

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|-
Portfolio Minister Took office Left office Party
Government's Office
Prime Minister25 October 2023Incumbent Direction – Social Democracy
Ministry of Defence
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence25 October 2023Incumbent Direction – Social Democracy
Ministry of Economy
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy25 October 2023Incumbent Voice – Social Democracy
Ministry of Environment
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Environment25 October 2023Incumbent Slovak National Party
Deputy Prime Minister
Deputy Prime Minister of Slovakia for European Union Subsidies and the Recovery Plan25 October 2023Incumbent Voice – Social Democracy
Ministry of Finance
Minister of Finance25 October 2023Incumbent Direction – Social Democracy
Ministry of Transport and Construction
Minister of Transport and Construction25 October 2023Incumbent Direction – Social Democracy
Ministry of Agriculture
Minister of Agriculture25 October 2023Incumbent Direction – Social Democracy
Ministry of Investments, Regional Development and Informatization
Minister of Investments, Regional Development and Informatization25 October 2023Incumbent Voice – Social Democracy
Ministry of Interior
Minister of Interior25 October 2023Incumbent Voice – Social Democracy
Ministry of Justice
Minister of Justice25 October 2023Incumbent Direction – Social Democracy
Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs
Minister of Foreign and European Affairs25 October 2023Incumbent Direction – Social Democracy
Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family
Minister of Labour, Social Affairs and Family25 October 2023Incumbent Voice – Social Democracy
Ministry of Education, Science and Research
Minister of Education, Science and Research25 October 2023Incumbent Voice – Social Democracy
Ministry of Culture
Minister of Culture25 October 2023Incumbent Slovak National Party
Ministry of Health
Minister of Health25 October 202310 October 2024 Voice – Social Democracy
10 October 2024[4]Incumbent Voice – Social Democracy
Ministry of Tourism and Sport
Minister of Tourism and Sport1 February 2024Incumbent Slovak National Party

Supporting parties

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Group/party Ideology Leader Deputies Ministers
Direction – Social Democracy
Smer - sociálna demokracia 		Left-wing nationalism Robert Fico
42 / 150
7 / 17
Voice – Social Democracy
Hlas - sociálna demokracia 		Social democracy Matúš Šutaj Eštok
27 / 150
7 / 17
Slovak National Party
Slovenská národná strana 		Ultranationalism Andrej Danko
7 / 150
3 / 17

Issues

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Domestic policy

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Rule of law

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In December 2023, the Fourth Cabinet of Robert Fico introduced an amendment to the Criminal Code. The government proposed that the bill be debated in a fast-track legislative procedure, arguing that the status quo leads to human rights violations. The amendment included scrapping the Special Prosecutor's Office dealing with high-level corruption and lowering penalties for financial crimes. The fast-track legislative procedure faced widespread criticism from the parliamentary opposition, President Zuzana Čaputová, the European Commission and non-governmental organizations, resulting in a weeks-long opposition parliamentary obstruction and a series of demonstrations.[5]

Critics have raised questions about potential conflicts of interest within the government coalition. They have noted that various individuals with perceived affiliations to the government, alongside accused members of the coalition parties, including the bill's rapporteur, MP Tibor Gašpar of Smer, could be directly affected by the proposed lowering of penalties. Their cases are also overseen by the Special Prosecutor's Office, which the amendment would abolish. The coalition government introduced the amendment, citing the need to shift towards a rehabilitative approach to justice, update the criminal code, and align with European Union standards. Proponent of the law, the Ministry of Justice led by Boris Susko of Smer published the brochure "Overview of Violations of the Principles of the Rule of Law in the Years 2020–2023".[6]

The amendment was finally approved by the National Council on 8 February 2024. The final proposal also included a reduction of the statute of limitations in rape cases from 20 to 10 years, which again caused widespread criticism from the parliamentary opposition, President Zuzana Čaputová and non-governmental organizations. The government defended the reduction of the limitation period by motivating victims to report rape earlier, possibly allowing a return to the 20-year limitation period in the next amendment after the approval of the law.[7]

President Zuzana Čaputová signed the law on 16 February, verbally clearly expressing her opposition to its content. The President argued that by signing the law instead of vetoing it, she wants to create enough time for the Constitutional Court to decide on her submission challenging the constitutionality of the law. As of February 2024, the Constitutional Court is expected to make its decision following the publication of the law in the collection of laws by the Ministry of Justice.[8]

NGOs

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Fico and some of his coalition members have shown their dislike for non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and civil rights groups.[9] On 30 April 2024, Slovakia's parliament approved in the first reading legislative amendment introduced by the Slovak National Party. The bill would require NGOs which annually receive more than €5,000 from outside of Slovakia to register as "foreign agents", raising fears of the label being used for organisations disliked by the current government.[10][11]

Media

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Fico and his political associates have stopped responding to and inviting to their press conferences reporters from some major news outlets that criticise the government, such as Denník N, Aktuality.sk, and Sme, along with broadcaster TV Markíza, calling them "enemy media",[12] while giving preferential treatment to media more favourable to him.[13] Pavol Szalai, the head of the EU and Balkans desk of Reporters Without Borders, stated that Fico was subjecting Slovakia's democracy to a "crash test".[14]

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) stated: “RSF condemns the ruling parties’ verbal attacks, their attempts to restrict access to information and their questioning of the independence of the public broadcaster RTVS.”[12]

The government has proposed a drastic cut in the financing of the RTVS, as well as a plan to split it into separate radio and television companies, attracting criticism from Reporters Without Borders and other organisations.[15][16]

RSF, International Press Institute, European Federation of Journalists, Free Press Unlimited and European Centre for Press and Media Freedom have voiced their concerns in an open letter to the President and the National Council. They have stated that these government actions can weaken the independence of this media and endanger the freedom of the press in Slovakia.[17][15][16]

In April 2024, the Government of Slovakia approved the Television and Radio Act proposed by prime minister Robert Fico and minister of culture Martina Šimkovičová over alleged partiality of the broadcaster. If the bill is supported by the Parliament of Slovakia, Radio and Television of Slovakia RTVS will be closed by the following June and replaced by a new broadcaster, named STVR.[18][19][20][21]

The new broadcaster STVR was required by law to broadcast the Slovak national anthem once a day, a move seen as a nationalist gesture.[18][22]

In June 2024, the Parliament of Slovakia voted in favor of the media laws. The Radio and Television of Slovakia (RTVS) was dissolved and replaced by a new media Slovak Television and Radio (STVR).[23][24][25]

Foreign policy

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Ukraine

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Further information: Russian invasion of Ukraine, Slovakia–Ukraine relations, and Foreign involvement in the Russian invasion of Ukraine

Fico is widely seen as pro-Russian,[26][27][28] and his government has stopped militarily supporting Ukraine, saying he "will not send one bullet" to Ukraine.[29][30][31] Fico has been opposing sanctions against Russia, with his standpoint on Ukraine being compared to that of Viktor Orbán.[30] In an RTVS interview, Fico questioned Ukraine's sovereignty and independence, claiming that Ukraine is just a US puppet, sparking outrage in both Slovakia and Ukraine. He has also stated that Slovakia will veto Ukraine's NATO membership, and has pushed for a peace deal, even if Ukraine suffers territorial losses. His words regarding Ukraine have been described as "heartless", "vulgar" and "disgraceful".[32][33]

Upon taking office, Fico officially ended Slovakia's arms supplies to Ukraine. However, he has since taken a somewhat different line on Ukraine in office than during his election campaign. During a meeting with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal in January 2024, Fico promised not to block private Slovak arms companies from selling to Ukraine, not to block EU financial support for Ukraine, and to support the accession of Ukraine to the European Union. He described Slovakia's political differences with Ukraine as "minor" and claimed to support Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity.[34][35]

Notes

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  1. ^ Ran on the party ticket of Slovak National Party. They left the parliamentary group on 22 October 2024 and are sitting as independents in the National Council.
  2. ^ Ran on the coalition ticket of OĽaNO and Friends.
  3. ^ Ran on the coalition ticket of OĽaNO and Friends.
  4. ^ Ran on the coalition ticket of OĽaNO and Friends.
  5. ^ Ran on the coalition ticket of OĽaNO and Friends and the party ticket of Slovakia.
  6. ^ Ran on the party ticket of Freedom and Solidarity.
  7. ^ Ľubomír Galko ran on the coalition ticket of OĽaNO and Friends and the party ticket of Slovakia. He left the parliamentary group on 5 September 2024 and is sitting as independent in the National Council.
  8. ^ Independent, ran on the party ticket of and nominated by Slovak National Party.
  9. ^ Independent, nominated by Direction – Social Democracy.
  10. ^ Independent, ran on the party ticket of and nominated by Slovak National Party.
  11. ^ Independent, nominated by Slovak National Party.

References

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  1. ^ "Slovakia's Fico appointed prime minister for fourth time". Reuters. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  2. ^ "Slovakia swears in a new Cabinet led by a populist ex-premier who opposes support for Ukraine". Associated Press. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  3. ^ "Slovakia's new government led by populist Robert Fico wins a mandatory confidence vote". The Independent. 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  4. ^ https://domov.sme.sk/c/23396117/kamil-sasko-minister-vymenovanie-peter-pellegrini.html
  5. ^ Henley, Jon (14 February 2024). "EU told Slovakia that its reforms risked 'irreparable damage' to rule of law". The Guardian.
  6. ^ "Vláda zverejnila 140-stranovú brožúru, ako mali byť porušované ľudské práva v rokoch 2020/23. Pozrite si celý materiál". Pravda (in Slovak). 1 February 2024.
  7. ^ Belej Majerčínová, Adriána (8 February 2024). "Novela Trestného zákona je schválená. Prezidentka sa pokúsi zabrániť jej účinnosti (Online)". Pravda (in Slovak).
  8. ^ Katuška, Michal (16 February 2024). "Prezidentka podpísala Trestný zákon, hoci ho kritizuje. Vytvára čas pre Ústavný súd". Sme (in Slovak). Petit Press. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
  9. ^ "Slovakia's Robert Fico targets civil rights groups". Financial Times. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  10. ^ "Slovak parliament moves closer to approving foreign agent bill aimed at NGOs". Bne IntelliNews. 2 May 2024.
  11. ^ "Slovakia chided for 'chilling effect' of changes to NGO, public media laws". Politico Europe. 14 May 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  12. ^ a b Bayer, Lili (15 November 2023). "Slovakian prime minister sparks alarm with threat to restrict media". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  13. ^ Barborák, Jaroslav (23 November 2023). "Fico s Dankom škodia občanom selektívnym prístupom k médiám, tvrdí Pavol Szalai z Reportérov bez hraníc (podcast)". Aktuality.sk (in Slovak). Ringier Axel Springier Slovakia. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  14. ^ Hovet, Jason (20 November 2023). "Slovakia's new PM Fico stops talking to some media amid rift". Reuters.
  15. ^ a b "Reportéri bez hraníc vyzývajú prezidentku a parlament, aby odmietli plány vlády pre RTVS". Sme (in Slovak). Petit Press. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  16. ^ a b "Reportéri bez hraníc apelujú na prezidentku a parlament". Teraz.sk (in Slovak). 13 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  17. ^ "Slovakia: RSF and its partners urge parliament and president to halt attempts to undermine the public broadcaster's independence". RSF. 13 December 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  18. ^ a b "Slovakia moves to scrap public broadcaster amid fears of press crackdown". Politico Europe. 24 April 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  19. ^ "Slovakia's government approves controversial overhaul of public broadcasting". ABC News. 24 April 2024. Archived from the original on 25 April 2024.
  20. ^ "Slovakia government tries to take control of state TV and radio". Yahoo! News Australia. 24 April 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  21. ^ "Slovakia's populist government to replace public broadcaster". BBC News. BBC. 24 April 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  22. ^ "News digest: Slovak public broadcaster to end in current form before summer". The Slovak Spectator. Petit Press. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  23. ^ "Slovakian parliament approves plan to revamp RTVS". Deutsche Welle. 21 June 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  24. ^ "Slovak parliament approves government's contested public broadcaster revamp". Reuters. 20 June 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  25. ^ Watson, Nicholas (21 June 2024). "Critics Slam Passing of Slovak Government Bill to Dissolve Public Broadcaster". Balkan Insight. Retrieved 23 June 2024.
  26. ^ Henley, Jon (1 October 2023). "Robert Fico doubles down on pro-Russia stance after Slovakia election win". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  27. ^ Lopatka, Jan (1 October 2023). "Robert Fico, pro-Russian Slovak political heavyweight wins another election". Reuters.
  28. ^ "The Guardian view on Slovakia's election: an ominous signal from central Europe". The Guardian. 3 October 2023. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  29. ^ "Slovakia's Fico announces halt of military aid to Ukraine". Politico. 26 October 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
  30. ^ a b Hovet, Jason (26 October 2023). "Slovakia's Fico will not support more military aid to Ukraine at EU summit -Slovak media". Reuters.
  31. ^ Gosling, Tim (2 February 2024). "Nationalist, populist, far-right parties eye rising support across Europe". Al Jazeera.
  32. ^ "Slovak PM claims Ukraine is not a sovereign country". Euractiv. 21 January 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  33. ^ "Fico questions aid for Ukraine and its sovereignty ahead of Uzhhorod meeting". The Slovak Spectator. Petit Press. 23 January 2024. Retrieved 1 February 2024.
  34. ^ Minder, Raphael; Olearchyk, Roman (24 January 2024). "Slovakia's prime minister U-turns on Ukraine support during visit". Financial Times.
  35. ^ "Slovak PM reaffirms support for Ukraine's EU membership bid". Reuters. 24 January 2024.
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