How ties to Italy’s Mafia brought Robert Fico’s second term to an abrupt end in Slovakia

The placard appeared to categorical the fury of a nation.

As tens of 1000’s of individuals took to the streets calling for Robert Fico to resign as prime minister of Slovakia in 2018, one protester had scrawled the phrases “mafia prostitute” throughout a strip of cardboard.

Mr Fico was depicted in the striped black-and-white uniform of a prisoner – an indication the crowds wished him jailed over the homicide of Jan Kuciak, an investigative journalist who had been exploring hyperlinks between authorities advisers and organised crime.

Kuciak was shot useless alongside together with his fiancée at their dwelling exterior Bratislava, frightening a wave of horror in a nation that had turn into virtually inured to tales of corruption.

The 27-year-old journalist had been investigating alleged hyperlinks between authorities figures and the ‘Ndrangheta, the highly effective Italian mafia primarily based in the southern area of Calabria.

He alleged that the Italian mafia had acquired farmland in jap Slovakia via intimidation after which fraudulently claimed large EU subsidies. In alternate, it was alleged, the Fico authorities acquired beneficiant “mediation fees”.

The reporter additionally uncovered the truth that a topless mannequin and Miss Universe contestant who was appointed as a senior aide to the prime minister had beforehand been the girlfriend of an alleged ‘Ndrangheta cocaine smuggler.

Mr Fico was accused of working a mafia state in collusion with corrupt businessmen, tax officers and cops – prices he denied.

But simply days later, he was compelled to resign.

Fico bounces again 

That was then. Despite the corruption accusations, Mr Fico ultimately bounced again.

In an election final September, he ran on a pro-Russia marketing campaign of now not giving army assist to Ukraine, amid opinion polls which instructed {that a} third of Slovaks consider the conflict was provoked by the West.

Aware of the waning public assist for Kyiv’s conflict effort, he instructed supporters that if he returned to energy “we will not send a single round of ammunition to Ukraine”.

His populist celebration, often called Direction or SMER, gained essentially the most votes in the election and he was in a position to type a coalition with two different events, embarking on his fourth term as prime minister.

Once again in energy, considered one of his first acts was to abolish a particular prosecutor’s workplace that was investigating organised crime and corruption.

He shut down the anti-corruption physique in February regardless of warnings from the EU that the transfer would compromise the rule of regulation in Slovakia.

His determination provoked widespread road protests which mirrored the demonstrations that had been held after the homicide of Mr Kuciak in 2018.

Mr Fico was investigated by the workplace however the prices had been dropped in 2022. Several folks linked to his celebration face prosecution for alleged corruption.

‘In vengeful mode’

In December the prime minister described the particular prosecutor’s workplace as “evil”.

“He was in a vengeful mode and got rid of an institution that was going after his cronies, that was very critical of all the crooks and criminals,” stated Samuel Abraham, a political analyst in Slovakia.

The taking pictures of the prime minister comes towards a backdrop of partisan, deeply divided politics, which was evident in the course of the parliamentary elections in the autumn and the newer presidential election final month.

The presidential contest was gained by Peter Pellegrini, who was prime minister from 2018 to 2020 after his ally Mr Fico was toppled.

Mr Pellegrini referred to as his opponent, Ivan Korcok, a pro-Western diplomat a “warmonger” due to his assist for Ukraine towards Russia.

Conceding defeat, an embittered Mr Korcok stated: “It turns out that it is possible to become the president of the Slovak Republic by spreading hatred.” He stated he had been unfairly characterised as a “war candidate”.

It is in the context of this heated political ambiance that the prime minister was shot a number of instances in a city 85 miles exterior Bratislava in a suspected assassination try.

“The recent political campaigns have been full of hatred and division. Sooner or later someone with a gun, perhaps some kind of weirdo, was going to pull the trigger. You reap what you sow,” stated Mr Abraham.