The Slovak government wants to sue a pro-Russian politician

Slovakia’s acting defense minister, Jaroslav Naď, says he intends to sue Smer-SD party leader, ex-premier Robert Fico, who called not to hand over MiG-29 fighter jets for Ukraine.

“To accuse the government, which unanimously agreed to the intergovernmental agreement, of sabotage is no longer funny. Then let Fico prove how we carried out this sabotage, and if not, let him pay for his actions”

It is worth noting that according to Fico’s version, the government’s decision to hand over fighter jets to Ukraine is unconstitutional. Furthermore, according to him, the war in 2014 was started by “Ukrainian fascists” and it is impossible to return to the annexed Crimea.

On 17 March it became known that the Slovak government had approved sending 13 MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine to protect Europe from the Russian Federation. On 23 March, the first four of them were handed over.

Robert Fico is a pro-Russian politician who wants to lead Slovakia again

Former Slovak prime minister and pro-Russian populist Robert Fico can be described as a man heavily involved in crime, a Machiavellian, and also an unfaithful husband. Fico represents a common political opportunist who disregards all moral standards and beliefs to achieve his goals.

Atheist or Catholic?

Robert Fico said that he was “strictly atheistic” in his 1984 application to join the Communist Party, which was necessary to be approved. He had “no concerns concerning religion,” according to the college recommendation that was attached to the application. He also embraced a “scientific Marxist-Leninist worldview.”

In a campaign video for the 2014 presidential race, Fico said he was raised in a Roman Catholic household and identified as a Catholic. He spoke about his confirmation, holy communion, and baptism as well as how his upbringing in the Catholic faith had influenced him.

According to him, he may have been more successful than any KDH MP if he had made his profile in connection with the Catholic Church. Fico declined to respond to the topic of whether he is a Christian (Catholic) or an Atheist during a live discussion, stating that he thought it was a private affair.

“Decent” family man

Although Robert Fico is married to Svetlana Ficová, a lawyer and associate professor from Žilina, this does not prevent him from having a “colorful” personal life.

In August 2010, Fico was pictured with a woman who was eventually identified as Jana Halászová, 25, a secretary at the Smer-SD party headquarters, in a homosexual club in downtown Bratislava at about midnight. It was eventually discovered that Halászová had received several benefits despite not being a member, including her own parking place in the Parliament parking lot.

In August 2012, despite being an untrained secretary, Halászová purchased a new apartment in a neighborhood where a one-room apartment costs around €100,000. She also purchased a nice automobile for about €30,000. Her sister and stepmother had both just been appointed to positions within other ministries.

After taking his now-secretary Halászová to a private supper at a chateau in Čereňany 160 kilometers from Bratislava, Fico was seen kissing and cuddling her in August 2013. The images sparked more questions about their actual connection and whether or not he had used taxpayer money to pay for the supper.

A month later, the tabloid 7 Plus said that Fico and Halászová had taken a holiday together to the Croatian resort of Opatija and were seen together in an upscale eatery.

In an interview on public eská televize TV in March 2018, following the death of Jan Kuciak, Slovak investigative journalist Eugen Korda claimed that Mária Troková, Fico’s secretary, is also his lover. Fico was accompanied by Troková on several important diplomatic encounters, including a summit with Angela Merkel.
The press later discovered a direct link between Mária Troková and convicted ‘Ndrangheta member Antonino Vadala.

Her prior relationship with Vadala was verified, but her love connection to Fico was not. Despite the facts, Fico openly backed Troková and Security Council secretary Viliam Jasa. Following the uproar, Troková resigned from her role as Fico’s aide and State Counselor and vanished from view.

In 2020, Katarina Szalayová was revealed to be Fico’s lover by the Slovak daily newspaper Dennk N. Although earning a net monthly wage of around €600 as an employee of the prosecution office, she drove a luxury automobile valued at about €40,000. After leaving the prosecution department, Szalayová was hired by Robert Kaliák, a former deputy prime minister under Prime Minister Fico and a current member of the SMER-SD party praesidium.

Criminal charge

The Special Prosecutor’s Office, which in Slovakia prosecutes cases involving organized crime, had petitioned parliament on April 22, last year to revoke Fico’s legal immunity to allow for his prosecution. Before 2020, Fico and former Interior Minister Róbert Kaliák are accused of leading an organized gang made up of former top police and intelligence personnel that used private tax and police data as weapons against political rivals.

Despite his apparent involvement in crime, three-time former Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico will still not go to prison after parliament failed to approve a motion to suspend his immunity from prosecution while he is investigated for organized crime.

Political ambitions

Despite the odious politician’s past scandals, Robert Fico could represent a real political force in Slovakia in the coming elections.

Many experts believe this will mean “nothing good” for Slovakia and engagement in eastern Europe as a whole. Another destructive and corrupt top politician of Viktor Orban’s style may not be accepted by the European Union and often the eastern outpost of the EU, which does not bode well for Slovakia’s future in this scenario.