Robert Fico, Slovakia’s populist prime minister, returned to power on a pro-Russian platform

By JUSTIN SPIKE
Associated Press

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Prime Minister Robert Fico returned to power in Slovakia last year. Having previously served twice as prime minister, from 2006 to 2010 and again from 2012 to 2018, the 59-year-old’s third term made him the longest-serving head of government in Slovakia’s history. After five years in opposition, Fico’s party won parliamentary elections last year on a pro-Russian and anti-American platform. He vowed to bring an end to Slovakia providing Ukraine with military support as it battled Russia’s full-scale invasion. He and his party have most often been described as left-populist, though he has also been compared to right-wing politicians like the nationalist prime minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán.