Populist-Left Slovakia Election Winners Deny ‘Pro-Russian’ Claims in Establishment Media

We’re not pro-Putin, we’re just anti-war, claims incoming Slovak government as left-wing-populist Robert Fico wins national elections on a promise to suspend deliveries of military aid to Ukraine.

Robert Fico, the anti-mass-migration, anti-coronavirus lockdown two-time Prime Minister of Slovakia won the national elections at the weekend at the head of his left-wing party and will soon attempt to form a coalition government, returning to power again on a populist platform vowing to disentangle the nation from the war in Ukraine, which borders Slovakia to the east. Media reports have called this a propaganda coup for Putin by the “pro-Russian” Fico.

Despite almost universal agreement in media reports that his party is clearly Russophile, Fico’s allies deny these claims and say they will continue to support Ukraine, just not with military equipment.

Robert Kalinak, who was Fico’s deputy Prime Minister and who is described as being part of his “inner circle” spoke to the Italian broadsheet La Repubblica, and said of the allegations against the election winner: “…we are not pro-Russian, but pro-Slovak. Although we will no longer supply weapons to Ukraine, we will continue to support them with humanitarian aid… We must try to achieve peace in Ukraine. And that is doable.”

Explaining their position, Kalinak said in remarks that might confound the otherwise uncompromising view of his party held by some observers, saying they are pro-Europe, supported Ukraine joining the European Union, but opposed them joining NATO as that would be “dangerous”.

London’s The Times reported the remarks of Fico himself, made after the results came in, when he said: “Slovakia and the people in Slovakia have bigger problems than [dealing with] Ukraine”. Fico has said he wants to push for peace talks and remarked he would not be “changing [our view] that we are prepared to help Ukraine in a humanitarian way … we are prepared to help with the reconstruction of the state. But you know our opinion on arming Ukraine.”

CNN’s report on the election result called Fico coming first in the poll “a potential propaganda coup for Putin” and, coming at the same time as the U.S. suspension of aid to Ukraine, the broadcaster warned the events could “play into Putin’s hands”.

Left-wing British newspaper The Guardian claims the coalition-building process that would get Fico into power — he came first but has no outright majority, so needs the support of other, smaller parties — could soften his approach to Ukraine somewhat. Most likely coalition party leader Peter Pellegrini has previously spoken of how positive for the Slovakian economy orders for domestically-produced artillery shells are, suggesting this could feature in talks.

Twice a Prime Minister already, Robert Fico has been known as an anti-mass migration left-wing populist with a strong focus on prioritising Slovakian interests before those of other nations. As reported by Breitbart in 2021, Fico was arrested on live television after supporting an anti-lockdown coronavirus protest and he has often ruffled feathers in Europe with moves against Muslim immigration, including blocking Islam from becoming an official religion of the nation in the state.