Slovakia - February 2025

On 7 February, large crowds took to the streets of Slovakia, with over 42,000 protesters gathering in Bratislava, and called for Prime Minister Robert Fico’s resignation due to his alleged pro-Russian stance. The nearly weekly protests started on 23 December 2024, following Fico’s visit to Moscow, as one of the few European leaders to visit Russia after the invasion of Ukraine. The protests intensified in January, with over 100,000 protesters across Slovakia on 24 January. The protesters have been criticizing Fico’s ties to Russia, his verbal attacks on Ukraine and have been accusing him of undermining national and EU institutions. The protests are the largest in Slovakia since 2018, when tens of thousands of people demonstrated in response to the death of an investigative journalist.   

Sources: Al Jazeera, MSN, France 24, Nový Čas, The Straits Times, British Broadcasting Company