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Slovakia at a Crossroads After Fico’s Attempted Assassination
Fabio Turco 20 June 2024

Things will not be the same for Slovakia following the attempted assassination of Premier Robert Fico. It will prove to be a watershed moment in the history of the country. Fico remains under strict medical supervision, but his conditions are improving day after day. Now is the time to speculate on the possible repercussions for the future of Slovakia. Both positive and negative. Something similar happened six years ago: the murder of reporter Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kušnirová. That tragedy resulted in increased social and political instability, which eventually led, in turn, to those five gunshots aimed at Fico. More blood has been spilled, but perhaps this second episode of violence will compel Slovakia to turn over a new leaf.
International Affairs
Slovakia and Poland at the Ballot: Pellegrini Prevails, Political Deadlock in Warsaw
Fabio Turco 17 April 2024

On the weekend of April 6-7, the citizens of both Poland and Slovakia went back to the polls, only six months after elections that resulted in important shifts in their respective governments. These more recent elections constituted a first test for the new executives. The elections in Poland were for local administration, while those in Slovakia were presidential.
International Affairs
Looking Ahead: 2024 Prospects for the Visegrad Group
Fabio Turco 22 December 2023

2023 saw a major shakeup in Central and Eastern Europe. Two elections reshuffled the board in the Viségrad group, where Viktor Orban’s Hungary now remains the only constant for the last ten years. Let’s take a look at what happened and what the prospects are for the coming year. The biggest turnaround comes from the region’s most important country, Poland. Elections on 15 October saw the end of the conservative, nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) government, which was replaced by a center-liberal-progressive coalition led by Donald Tusk. His return to government – he previously served as prime minister from 2007 to 2014 – marks a 360-degree turn in Warsaw’s politics, which is re-aligning with Brussels after eight years of troubled relations.
International Affairs
Slovakia’s Critical Crossroads: Elections, Populism, and Geopolitical Shifts
Fabio Turco 24 September 2023

All eyes may be on the October 15 elections in Poland, but the September 30 elections in Slovakia are no less important for the region. Despite its small size, over the past year and a half Slovakia has gained relevance due to its committed support to Ukraine in its war against Russia. At the same time, the country has spent years seeking internal harmony and governability in the face of great political instability. It has been subjected to the impetuous winds of populism, and these might finally bring about a radical alteration in its geopolitical course.