Fico's shooting and Slovakia's dark politics

Robert Fico, the prime minister of Slovakia, was shot today. He was immediately transported to hospital by helicopter and is currently in a “life-threatening” state.

Robert Fico is an ex-communist who is now in his fourth term and he has been controversial. Tens of thousands of people have protested against his proposed criminal law reforms in the capital, Bratislava, and in two dozen other cities across Slovakia. These reforms were intended to grant impunity for accused politicians and the sponsors of government parties.

Citizens were out in the streets from last December, in the freezing cold, wind and rain. One of the most popular anti-Fico chants was “Underling”. This is the nickname given to Peter Pellegrini, the current president, for his submissive attitude towards Fico.

And there has been a strong sense developing here of a country in a political “bad mood”, a term famously coined by the late Czech and Czechoslovak president Václav Havel to describe the ailments of the post-communist transformation.

This was highlighted when Ivan Korčok, the foreign minister, entered the stage of a community theatre on one of his rallies, in the central town of Zvolen on one of his campaign stops. More than 100 people came to hear him talk.

“Blood gushes in Slovak politics; it’s like boxing,” Korčok said, in front of a dark red theatre curtain as he addressed the aggressive, hateful Trumpian mood that dominates Slovak politics. His words now seem to carry a terrible significance.

“The country does not need a president who will smile at them,” Korčok said. “The president is here to make the nation smile”. Indeed, the current “bad mood” and a big dose of anger is forcing many Slovaks, especially the younger ones, to think about abandoning the country altogether.

According to an opinion poll in March, up to a quarter of adults are considering emigration – one of the main reasons they give is dissatisfaction with the country’s politics and society.

“More people will leave this country if it continues like this,“ lamented 67-year-old Mária Kánová as she entered the rally with her husband, daughter, and son-in-law. She has decided to vote for Korčok to stop this brain drain. She queues up to take a picture with him, believing this is not a lost fight. “My children attended the anti-government protests,” she said with pride in her voice.

At one of his many rallies, the friendly crowd roared in applause as Korčok said: “They act as if they own this state. As president, I will never forget that I serve the citizens… We should take back the word ‘homeland’ from these self-proclaimed patriots.”

The political and social tensions have been building in Slovakia for some time. With the shooting of Fico, those tensions have reached a critical and dangerous moment.