Slovakia

Slovakian President Zuzana Caputova appointed Robert Fico as the new prime minister on Wednesday – the fourth time that Fico is to lead a government in Slovakia. Most recently, he was in power from 2012 to 2018. His party, the left-wing Smer-SSD, came out on top in the Slovak parliamentary elections on September 30. The party has entered into coalition with the centre-left Hlas party and the nationalist SNS.
     Fico has caused a stir with an apparently positive attitude towards Russia. Among other things, he has talked about ending military support to Ukraine. However, he will allow humanitarian aid to continue. He has also criticised Western sanctions against Russia. Political observers from outside have seen Slovakia’s election as a litmus test of European unity when it comes to aid to Ukraine. So far, Slovakia, with its 5.5 million inhabitants, has been one of Ukraine’s loyal supporters. /ritzau/