Slovakia's peaceful anti-government protests grow nationwide

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Late connected Friday afternoon, radical dilatory gather at Freedom Square successful Bratislava, the superior of Slovakia, to protestation against the authorities of Prime Minister Robert Fico.

The ambiance is calm. People are streaming into the quadrate from each directions, carrying banners and the flags of Slovakia, the EU and adjacent NATO. Their connection is clear: Slovakia belongs successful Europe.

This isn't the archetypal rally of its benignant being held successful Bratislava. The latest bid of protests began connected December 23, a time aft the premier minister's astonishment travel to Russia, and person been held astatine regular intervals ever since.

The protesters present hold connected 1 thing: Slovakia does not beryllium to Russia. And galore consciousness that Fico's pre-Christmas gathering with Russian President Vladimir Putin successful Moscow was an enactment of treason.

The flags of the EU and NATO and a motion   that reads 'We privation  to unrecorded  decently and without lies — We are Europe' tin  beryllium  seen supra  the heads of demonstrators against a darkening sky. Freedom Square, Bratislava, Slovakia, January 24, 2025The connection astatine Friday's objection successful Bratislava was crystal clear: Slovakia belongs successful EuropeImage: Sona Macor Otajovicova/DW

Slovakia has been a subordinate of NATO since 2002, and joined the EU successful 2004.

The radical taking portion successful the protests in implicit 20 cities crossed the state are peacefully demanding that Slovakia remains successful these planetary organizations and that the authorities halt undermining Slovakia's planetary position.

Fighting for ideology — again

"I consciousness truly disappointed by our government," says a 47-year-old protester named Richard who has tied an EU emblem astir his shoulders. "When I was 12 years old, I took to the streets with my father, protesting against communism successful November 1989, and present I am, fighting for democracy, erstwhile again," helium tells DW.

The assemblage successful the quadrate is getting bigger by the minute. People of each ages person travel and are joining successful the chants of "Enough of Fico," "We are Europe," "Shame" and "Treason." Some are calling for Fico to measurement down arsenic premier minister.

A antheral   with a ample  EU emblem  tied astir   his shoulders tin  beryllium  seen successful  the mediate  of a assemblage  arsenic  acheronian   falls. He is looking consecutive  into the camera. Bratislava, Slovakia, January 24, 2025'When I was 12 years old, I took to the streets with my father, protesting against communism successful November 1989, and present I am, warring for democracy, erstwhile again,' 1 protester tells DWImage: Sona Macor Otajovicova/DW

"I consciousness unhappy astir what is happening successful this state and the radical who regularisation it, and I privation to dependable my opinion," says 26-year-old Alexandra. She says she was not enactment disconnected by the premier minister's speech of accrued information and unrest the erstwhile day. "I person feared for my information ever since Fico won the election," she says.

Talk of an alleged coup

On Thursday, the time earlier demonstrations, President Peter Pellegrini convened a gathering of the state's Security Council, claiming helium had been fixed superior accusation astir a menace to the state's security.

"The constitution of our constitution is being threatened; determination are groups of radical who privation to escalate hostility wrong the state and onslaught the institutions of government," said Pellegrini, adding that these groups are being coordinated from abroad.

Fico made precise akin claims, saying that immoderate groups were allegedly readying a coup. "It is an effort to signifier a emblematic coup successful Slovakia truthful that the authorities falls and those who cannot get into powerfulness done antiauthoritarian parliamentary elections travel to power," helium said.

Coup assertion roundly rejected by protesters

"It's precise hard to respond to specified delusions," said Lucia Stasselova, 1 of the organizers of the protestation successful Bratislava, up of Friday's protest. "Nothing of what the premier curate oregon the president are saying is true."

"It's what each of them say," added Marian Kulich, different of the protest's organizers. "Listen to Erdogan successful Turkey, Orban successful Hungary, Irakli Kobakhidze successful Georgia, Serbia, they each usage the aforesaid narrative. In my opinion, Slovakia is conscionable 1 of the countries that are submitting to the Moscow authorities — acknowledgment to our premier minister," helium told DW.

A pistillate   (Lucia Stasselova) dressed successful  a achromatic  overcoat and with a blue-and-yellow badge and ribbons connected  her lapel stands successful  an unfastened  abstraction  successful  beforehand   of a ample  metallic  fountain and smiles into the camera, Freedom Square, Bratislava, Slovakia, January 24, 2025'Nothing of what the premier curate oregon the president are saying is true,' says Lucia Stasselova of the enactment Peace to UkraineImage: Sona Macor Otajovicova/DW

Both Stasselova and Kulich are members of the civic radical Peace to Ukraine, which was acceptable up soon aft Russia's penetration of Ukraine successful 2022. It is present besides campaigning successful enactment of ideology successful Slovakia.

"We started to signifier the rallies successful Bratislava, and slowly, different cities began to coordinate with us. More than 20 cities and towns are presently involved. The protests successful each municipality are organized by antithetic people," said Stasselova.

60,000 instrumentality portion successful Bratislava alone

Apart from a little interruption owed to a powerfulness outage connected stage, the rally goes disconnected smoothly and peacefully — without rioting, and surely nary attempted coup.

DW spoke with the organizers conscionable a fewer hours earlier the protest, who said they were expecting astir 30,000 to instrumentality part. Most media outlets have estimated that immoderate 60,000 joined the protestation successful Bratislava — 4 times arsenic galore arsenic took portion successful the past protestation 2 weeks ago.

A ample  assemblage  gathers astir   the Fountain of Union (center) connected  Freedom Square successful  Bratislava. The airy  from hundreds of smartphones illuminates the darkness. Some protesters are holding up   signs and the flags of Slovakia, Ukraine, the EU and NATOIn crisp opposition to the premier minister's claims that protests could escalate into a coup attempt, Friday's protests remained wholly peacefulImage: Jaroslav Novák/TASR/dpa/picture alliance

But demonstrations were not conscionable restricted to the capital; the numbers taking portion successful different cities besides increased. In Banska Bystrica, for example, attendance connected Friday was up to 10,000 from 6,000 2 weeks ago.

Indeed, respective media outlets estimated that a full of 100,000 radical took to the streets of Slovakia's cities successful protestation connected Friday.

On Tuesday, Fico faced a no-confidence ballot successful the Slovak parliament. However, erstwhile the premier curate unexpectedly called for the league to beryllium held successful concealed connected the grounds that helium would beryllium sharing confidential accusation with the parliament, the absorption withdrew its no-confidence question successful protest.

It has said it volition telephone a caller no-confidence ballot successful the adjacent future, and is present demanding different parliamentary league adjacent week.

Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico (left) tin  beryllium  seen making ample  gestures with some  hands astatine  the speakers' podium successful  the Slovak parliament. He is turning to look   astatine  Michal Simecka (right), person  of the absorption   Progressive Slovakia enactment      leader, who is seated astatine  a table  and looking consecutive  up  with a precise  superior   look  connected  his face. Bratislava, Slovakia, January 21, 2025'There is nary menace of a coup ... and each cognize it,' Michal Simecka (right) said connected Tuesday, speaking adjacent to Fico (left)Image: Radovan Stoklasa/REUTERS

Speaking to the media aft Tuesday's session, members of the absorption said Fico work a study from the quality bureau SIS (Slovak Information Service), raising concerns astir an uprising akin to the Maidan Revolution successful Ukraine successful 2014 that resulted successful the ousting of President Viktor Yanukovych.

A 'paranoid' premier minister

Opposition leader Michal Simecka, caput of the Progressive Slovakia party, called the premier minister's code "paranoid."

"I'm acrophobic that the premier curate is suffering from delusions," helium said. "He sees things that don't exist. There's nary different mentation I tin deliberation of. So, this is my takeaway from his speech."

Fico's critics person said determination was nary genuinely concealed accusation successful the report, and immoderate assertion the SIS is being instrumentalized for governmental purposes.

"The SIS is being abused. It serves a governmental intent of this government, it spreads hatred and fearfulness of the critics of the government," said lawmaker Maria Kolikova of the center-right wide Freedom and Solidarity party.

Another protestation is already planned for February 6. "The protestation volition proceed arsenic agelong arsenic the radical privation to protest," said Stasselova of Peace for Ukraine. "It volition beryllium connected the actions of Fico's cabinet, their statements, their politics."

Edited by: Aingeal Flanagan

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