Slovakia's former PM Robert Fico strikes deal on coalition after election win

Slovakia's former prime minister Robert Fico, on Wednesday (Oct 11), said that he would form a coalition government including a pro-Russian party, after his group won elections over vows to scale back the country's support to Kyiv.

Fico's SMER-SSD (Direction-Slovak Social Democracy) won the elections in September with vows to end military aid to Ukraine and condemnation of sanctions against Russia.

"We have agreed that we want to form a government together", said Fico of the deal that includes pro-Russia SNS and Hlas-SD, a breakaway party from Smer.

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SNS, led by former parliamentary speaker Andrej Danko, share Fico's persistent anti-refugee verbiage and populist leanings in the EU and NATO member nation.

Danko said in July that Russian-occupied territories were not "historically Ukrainian".

He has also made headlines in the past for shaking hands with Russian President Vladimir Putin, taking a selfie with Russian State Duma Chair Vyacheslav Volodin, and addressing Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov as "my dear friend".

Smer, Hlas and SNS parties are united by national, social and Christian politics, Danko said after signing the deal on Wednesday.

"A common fight against migration awaits us," he added.

Fico has served as Slovakia's prime minister thrice in the past and will chair the new governmentwith parties yet to announce how they would fill the ministerial posts.

"Specific names and ministries will be included in the coalition agreement. I will present the list of ministers to the president in a short time," Fico said.

The leader of Hlas-SD, Peter Pellegrini, sought to provide assurances against fears that Slovakia would usher its foreign policy away from NATO and the EU.

"If the government tries to change that, Hlas-SD will leave the coalition government," Pellegrini had pledged on Tuesday before the deal was announced.

He also vowed that Slovakia will not send "a single round of ammunition" to Ukraine and has called for better relations with Russia.

According to Darina Malova, an analyst from the Bratislava-based Comenius University, Pellegrini of Hlas-SD "will be able to pacify his coalition partners, including SNS."

"I do not expect Fico to address the topic of military aid for Ukraine any time soon," news agency AFP quoted her as saying.

(With inputs from agencies)

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