Slovakia PM Robert Fico: Political heavyweight with pro-Russian views

Slovakia PM Robert Fico: During a three-decade career, Mr. Fico, 59, has skilfully weaved between pro-European mainstream and nationalistic anti-Brussels and anti-American positions, while showing a willingness to change course depending on public opinion or changed political realities.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who was said to be in a life-threatening condition after being shot on May 15, took power for the fourth time last October and has turned the country's foreign policy towards more pro-Russian views.

He has also initiated reforms of criminal law and the media, which have raised concerns over weakening the rule of law.

During a three-decade career, Mr. Fico, 59, has skilfully weaved between pro-European mainstream and nationalistic anti-Brussels and anti-American positions, while showing a willingness to change course depending on public opinion or changed political realities.

He embraced more extreme positions over the past four years that include strident criticisms of western allies, pledges to stop military support for Kyiv, opposition to sanctions on Russia and threats to veto any future NATO membership invite for Ukraine.

His coalition halted Slovak official shipments of weapons for Ukraine and he has spoken about what he called western influence in the war which only led to Slavic nations killing each other.

Mr. Fico has remained steady throughout his career, however, on promises to protect living standards of those left behind in a country where conditions for many are only slowly catching up to western Europe and where many hold relatively fond memories of a communist-era past.

"Fico is a technician of power, by far the best in Slovakia. He does not have a counterpart at the moment," said sociologist Michal Vasecka, from the Bratislava Policy Institute.