Orban and Putin’s buddy in Bratislava, Robert Fico, seems to be running into some stiff headwinds as he tries to push Slovakia onto a more Putin-friendly course.  From Euractiv:

As the government of Prime Minister Robert Fico faces mass demonstrations over its pro-Russian policies, the coalition crisis has reached a breaking point, with four MPs withdrawing support “for now”, leaving the government without a parliamentary majority.

More than 30 Slovak cities were swept by nationwide protests as citizens demanded Fico’s government end its pro-Russian policies and reaffirm Slovakia’s alignment with the EU and NATO. For the first time, citizens also openly called for his resignation.

However, Fico announced that he had no plans to resign, claiming that “the government can only be changed through elections.” He again admitted that early elections might be necessary if the coalition partners fail to resolve internal issues.

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Fico’s government made up of his Smer-SD party and coalition partners SNS and Hlas-SD (NI), has been in crisis since the autumn. During this period, three MPs broke away from the SNS, insisting on a ministerial seat in exchange for their support for the government, and four more MPs from Hlas-SD began to rebel openly against government policies.

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Fico’s coalition, which began its term with 79 MPs in the 150-seat parliament, barely above the minimum of 76, now de facto lacks a majority to govern, reaching a maximum of 75 MPs in the most optimistic scenario.

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Opposition leader Michal Šimečka of Progressive Slovakia (PS/RE) noted, “we are witnessing the collapse of Fico’s fourth government in real-time.”

“Parliament is now paralysed not because of some external dark forces operating in the background, but because of Fico’s inability to govern,” Šimečka added, signalling his party’s willingness to support early elections.

The government faces a no-confidence vote from the opposition on Tuesday, although the chances of success appear slim.

I guess we’ll all find out tomorrow.  Meanwhile, anti-Fico petitions and open letters are really taking off.  From the Slovak Spectator:

It started with more than a hundred psychiatrists and psychologists who signed an open letter to Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer) more than a week ago. They expressed grave concerns over the country’s political direction under his leadership and warn of a deteriorating political culture, polarisation, and democratic backsliding.

PM Fico dismissed the letter, accusing its authors of politicising their professions. “You have long been public opponents of this government,” he wrote in response, calling the appeal “a disgraceful abuse of your titles for political purposes.”

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Soon after that, more than 1500 members of academia also expressed their outrage at the state of public affairs and the overall direction of Slovakia under the leadership of the prime minister.

“We cannot stand by and watch as facts acquired, thanks to the efforts of generations of scientists from many scientific fields, from medicine to history, are purposefully questioned, ridiculed, and even denied under your patronage,” they write.

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Last Friday saw teachers and education experts signing their own open letter, with several hundred in just a few minutes upon publication. They critise the questioning of experts, the spread of hatred and the normalisation of inappropriate behaviour by politicians. They also point out that education is not a priority for the government.

Even truck drivers issued public statements reproaching the government in one way or another, reacting with derision to PM Fico’s claims that a mysterious group allegedly behind the protests was also planning to block roads.

Now this is what a democratic resistance to Fascism looks like!  Even if Fico still styles himself as a left-leaning “populist.”

All eight chairs of Slovakia’s self-governing regions, including the Nitra Region chaired by Branislav Becík from Hlas, and the Trenčín Region chaired by Jaroslav Baška from Smer, have written a joint statement, calling on politicians to not question Slovakia’s membership in NATO and the EU. This was a response to Deputy Speaker of Parliament Tibor Gašpar (Smer) who said that the withdrawal of Slovakia from the EU and NATO should be an option.

The Federation of Employers’ Associations of Slovakia, an entity that cannot be omitted from comment procedures when it comes to submitting draft laws, also reacted to Gašpar’s statement, saying that it has raised concerns in business circles.

Diplomats, culture representatives, and the church as well have issued their statements.