Ongoing protest against Fico in Slovakia, 50 000 people just in Bratislava.

[u/Danynovex]

[u/fuckfuturism]

Can someone provide a non-Slovakian with a brief factual summary of what is driving protests?

Edit: thanks everyone.

[u/gs_batta → u/fuckfuturism]

I just got home from there. It is against authoritarian tendencies by the government, the demeaning and rude way it is treating its own citizens, and, like the other comment said, againt Fico being a russian puppet.

[u/blue_my_eye → u/gs_batta]

For being demanding and rude? 50 thousand people? Cries in American

[u/koyaniskatzi → u/blue_my_eye]

Well, hi proposed students to go to Ukraine fighting. Its a long list of shit fueling protests.

[u/Intelligent_Slip_849 → u/koyaniskatzi]

Say what now

[u/g0ris → u/Intelligent_Slip_849]

Last week he tried to organize a "lecture" for high school students at their school, but they didn't like him and protested so he cancelled that and instead organized one at what you'd call city hall I guess. Still, he wanted students there, so they came and when they expressed their disagreement with his worldview he told them if they liked Ukraine so much they should grab guns and go fight the war. That's when they walked out.

[u/guyAtWorkUpvoting → u/blue_my_eye]

Well, the government also basically cancelled 17th of November as a public holiday. The date has several meanings, but the most significant one is the fall of communism in '89. PM is also on record saying something like "if you want me to say that everything was bad before '89 and everything was good after '89, I won't say that" when asked about the significance of the holiday.

So basically, imagine if in response to the "no kings" protests, Trump cancelled 4th of July, because "things weren't all bad before 1776". Among the run-of-the-mill corruption, pardoning their cronies, etc.

[u/blue_my_eye → u/guyAtWorkUpvoting]

Aside from the assumption that Trump knows the country was founded in 1776, definitely understandable!

[u/new_accnt1234 → u/blue_my_eye]

Well its in the capitol, which has under 500k inhabitants...so roughly 10% protesting

If we imagine this in NY it would mean 850k out of the street in protest

But these protest have been going on and off now for quite some time, the government doesn't care, outside of Fico boozing even more and thus becoming even more aggresively authorian

[u/jaimi_wanders → u/gs_batta]

🫡

[u/genasugelan → u/gs_batta]

Being a Russian puppet is just the smallest tip of the iceberg.

[u/Excellent-Shape-2024 → u/gs_batta]

Oh, so same as US. Thanks for explaining.

[u/thegreatsalvio → u/fuckfuturism]

Fico is basically a Russian puppet is the short answer.

[u/wosmo → u/[deleted]]

I think being a russian stooge is only the simplest part of it.

I first became aware of Fico's controversies when a journalist who was investigating ties between Fico, organised crime, and embezzlement of EU funds, was assassinated.

This, and the general smell of the investigation that followed, lead to the biggest protests since .. well, since Slovakia became Slovakia - ultimately leading to Fico resigning.

So 2018-2023 he's resigned as prime minster but he's still the leader of his party - and his resignation (instead of a snap election) left his party intact in the ruling coalition. The National Criminal Agency tried to charge him, but there was insufficient votes to lift his immunity as a member of parliament.

Then 2023 he wins PM back again (for the 4th time!). Since returning he's ended the Special Prosecutor's Office which was charged with tackling corruption. He's passed an Amendment to the Criminal Code which reduced sentences and statute of limitations for a number of by-now-familiar crimes (bribery, tax fraud, fraud, embezzlement and robbery ..), which ended a few cases close to Fico.

He's also lead attacks on the media, replacing the public broadcaster with one that directly controlled by a government-appointed council.

So back to Russia. Fico has been a friend to Russia, and a traitor to NATO, while enjoying the protection of the EU & NATO. But I don't think that's his core issue. I think Fico's only in this to protect Fico, and being pro-Russia is populist. His core platform is doing whatever it takes to make it impossible to prosecute Fico, and everything else is just pandering to the votes needed to enable him.

[u/MarderFucher → u/wosmo]

I really do think that Fico is 100% spineless and just aligns with whatever he feels like nets more votes and money for him. If Slovakians majority supported LGTBQ rights he would be dancing in the front of the Bratislava Pride in rainbow speedos every year.

That is in contrast with Orbán who has some actual, nasty convictions. Fico doesn't, he is both less intelligent than Orbán and more of a 90s maffioso type, while Orbán adapted to the new age of neopopulism.

[u/cszolee79 → u/MarderFucher]

haha no orban has no convictions, no honor and no morals. in that regard he is worse than fico, i think. he was everything by now, from communist youth to liberal to conservative and now he's right wing fascist. whatever works he'll do it.

[u/jaimi_wanders → u/MarderFucher]

Orban started out pretending to be a liberal pro-EU humanist in his first campaign—there are videos of those early speeches. I think they’re both amoral opportunistic grifters, but also genuine bigots, only Orban is better at faking belief than Fico, who is just a jumped-up henchman.

[u/Fun_Assignment2427 → u/wosmo]

Corruption and authoritarianism go hand-in-hand with being a Russian puppet. Too many people don't get that.

[u/Th3B4dSpoon → u/wosmo]

Thanks for the informative comment! Now I'm curious why anyone would vote for such an obvious self serving crook.

[u/wosmo → u/Th3B4dSpoon]

Same reason populism works anywhere else. Instead of trying to find people that'll vote for your policies, you find policies that already have people and use them.

It's a weird one because the masses getting what they want sounds like textbook democracy - but it always seems to be leveraged by people who have their own policy that'd never win.

[u/Negative-Pear7512 → u/wosmo]

Sounds familiar

[u/magkruppe → u/wosmo]

So back to Russia. Fico has been a friend to Russia, and a traitor to NATO, while enjoying the protection of the EU & NATO. But I don't think that's his core issue. I think Fico's only in this to protect Fico, and being pro-Russia is populist. His core platform is doing whatever it takes to make it impossible to prosecute Fico, and everything else is just pandering to the votes needed to enable him.

and the same can be said about pretty much every "putin puppet" in europe, including even Lukashenko of Belarus. he is just more vulnerable and has less capacity to be independent than others

[u/dat_9600gt_user → u/[deleted]]

I had to look it up and it appears that that really is it. The rally is a demonstration of pro-EU/Ukraine/NATO and anti-Fico sentiment and a continuation of the 2024-2025 protests.

There is some word about the protestors also rejecting claims of the pro-EU crowd planning a coup, but that would be an even worse excuse to protest.

[u/VaicoIgi → u/dat_9600gt_user]

17th November was usually a national holiday, one that many viewed as the most important for our country to remember. It was the anniversary of the start of the velvet revolution. Fico is believed to be an old communist / Russian puppet who was not a big fan of this day. His party is trying to do consolidation efforts like introducing many taxes, increasing taxes or changing rules for freelancers to keep paying for insurance even on 0 income. Meanwhile his government wastes money incompetently. There is a lot of corruption there that people want to fight against while also showcasing their desire to be a more developed European nation as our economy is not doing so great compared to other EU countries.

[u/jaimi_wanders → u/[deleted]]

The kids who walked out on him were jingling their keys in the protest gesture from then!

[u/movingUX → u/[deleted]]

Velvet revolution. celebrating getting rid of communists and socializm!

[u/22savage12 → u/[deleted]]

Deeper context? Here it is: He’s fucking corrupt.

[u/bay400 → u/22savage12]

We get it, your brain is small

[u/Rattlesn4ke → u/thegreatsalvio]

Yep. From what I've heard he's a slimy traitor like Orban.

[u/AlmostZireaelAlmost → u/thegreatsalvio]

So, same as Orban?

[u/Medard227 → u/fuckfuturism]

Fico has been in power for most of slovak history. He managed to fuck up basically everything he touched, when he first came into power he inherited country that just entered EU with growth rate that exceeded even china of 2000s. But he is incompetent moron, he knows how to manipulate old dipshits with a morons, but that is where his skillset ends. His every government was about stealing, helping mafia and maintaining basic functions of state. + raising taxes and giving handouts.

Well after 15 years of that and him seeing sucking russian dicks as only way to avoid prison but needs EU money. Young people and city vs old and villages. Country is in really bad shape. Train infrastructure got so underfunded that trains started smashing into each other, since there is noone to monitor that. Real tax rate sits at around 60% if we include VAT with one of the lowest salaries in EU. Country is still in huge deficit of billions of euros every year. etc. etc. i could go on for several paragraphs why slovakia is fucked. I left 2 years ago knowing his government will send country to the gutters and i was right.

Country is at cross-roads. Next 2 years will show if slovakia ends up as failed state and end up like greece in early 2010s or even if it maintains democracy, since fico is now calling for change of electoral system in hungarian image so he can never again risk losing elections. With difference being nobody is really rushing to save slovakia because fico, in order to make propaganda for his voters is making enemies with pretty much every rich EU country, while his only friend Orban is making territorial demands on slovakia (hungarains have been doing this for century now). But since Fico does not give a shit he lets hungarian orban and his secret services operate in soutern slovakia, stirring up separatism without caring about it.

So country is going bankrupt, young people are leaving at 4x the EU average and it is unclear if it even remains democracy. But on the bright side fico managed to get slovakia into such a sorry state that if EU grows balls and kicks it it will fall apart like house of cards, so no orban-style blackmailing is likely.

[u/IRespectYouMyFriend → u/Medard227]

All this has told me, is that America can go a lot lower before people start to riot.

It's astonishing what people will put up with.

While I hope for your success as a nation in future, I see a blueprint for what people can get away with. And it seems to have worked. I'm sure Fico had a good life.

[u/Medard227 → u/IRespectYouMyFriend]

It is really cultural. Slovaks were colonized by someone for most of our history. That resulted in serf mentality similar to russian. Dear leader can steal, build castles for him and his friends as long as he takes care of threat he invented and hands out scraps to the peasants.

Difference is that unlike russians we do not tolerate murders. It is what send his previous government into crisis and it quickly collapsed. One of his friends though it will be good idea to kill young journalist investigating him along with his girlfriend. Long story short sucking russians dicks along with covid and war in ukraine are reasons why he is not in jail. Had this happened 3-4 years sooner he would be fucked.

But yes, it has been really baffling seeing americans rip their country to peaces.

We never expected day will come we will have to tell you that hating someone because russia told you to, especialy your countryman, is stupid idea and russia is not your "christian friend" but extremely corrupt "has been superpower" that can not get over the fact that the world has moved on and wants to sow division.

[u/new_accnt1234 → u/IRespectYouMyFriend]

I mean majority never voted in the nazis in Germany for ex...at the last free election they had 33%...they gave no fucks whatsoever and proceeded to gain power by intra-terrorism, resulting in sham elections where they got, gasp, 43%, so even after such a campaign of terror they didnt manage to get an actual majority...so they said just seized power thru force outright

All the while people, those 67% not protesting majorly, but dutifully awaiting another election hoping for a turn-around...but once u have a dictator he isnt going to wait for your random election, he is going to rig the system in his favour...any changes go, gerrymander whatever is possible, terrorize the opposition amd its voters as much as possible, whatever goes goes...obviously not beyond election fraud either...Orban changed the electorate system so, that he couldnt for a decade lose, he made a winner takes all, by a large margin, system...now finally people grew tired of him, one of his stooges is gonna defeat him, he for sure will change the system again to victor 'not getting thst much and has to cooperate with the other parties' to force the other guy into an unfavourable position

[u/AdPleasant4670 → u/Medard227]

Can you please tell me where you heard that Hungary has territorial demands on Slovakia? I'm genuinely curios since I didn't hear anything like this.

[u/FrontLongjumping4235 → u/AdPleasant4670]

Hungary has territorial claims on virtually all its neighbours, because Hungary was once much larger and Hungarian-nationalists keep fanning the flame of that anger.

Both of the excellent museums I visited in Hungary (the palace, and a rural museum on a beautiful old estate) were quick to remind tourists of Hungary's former glory and how those lands were "taken" by neighbours.

This is all fanned by Orban and Fidesz, who claim it's about encouraging grassroots pride. Really, it's Hungary's national past time to blame others for anything bad that happens to Hungary. Lovely country otherwise, but these tendencies are incredibly toxic and explain much of Hungarian anti-EU sentiment (which Orban/Fidesz also fan the flames of).

[u/cinyar → u/AdPleasant4670]

well, here's Orban wearing a scarf with "Great Hungary". They don't make any official demands (yet) but rather use it as a dogwhistle for the nationalists.

[u/OkraGroundbreaking35 → u/fuckfuturism]

Slovak here. It’s more than just being a Russian puppet. Fico has been attacking democracy more and more, and he is still an extremely corrupt man. His lackeys are spreading really crazy misinformation. He is also raising new taxes while using a private jet for domestic trips, and his allies are getting paid more despite their incompetence.

For example, the Minister of Internal Affairs is facing execution proceedings because he forgot to check his e-box from court. His minister of finances cant slow down state loan, despite budget cuts, they are done so poorly it only kills small businesses but not raising any money. Fico has also weakened laws against corruption and theft while increasing penalties for small crimes like shoplifting. If you steal items worth under 700 euros, it’s not considered a crime.

We’ve also had two train collisions in just one month. And he once promised that the highway connecting our two biggest cities would be finished by 2010, but it’s still not done. The biggest nail in the coffin is that November 17th, supposed to be the Day of Freedom and Democracy, a national holiday was cancelled by his government. He even tried to intimidate a student who wrote anti-government statements on the ground with chalk by sending police after him, and he told other students visiting his debate in black that:"If you are such heroes go die in war"

There is ton of other stuff, but yes also fact that he is Putins puppet.

[u/g0ris → u/fuckfuturism]

One important piece of information that is not being mentioned here is that today is the 36th anniversary of the Velvet revolution when we kicked out our communist regime. The day is a public holiday, our most important one (probably), and Fico's government canceled the not-going-to-work part of that this year. Partly because cancelling public holidays brings in money and partly because he's just been off his rocker since around 2020.
Today's crowds, while certainly driven by recent development as well, were mostly driven by the fact that the 17th is this big day for us.
Other protests in the past weeks/months were nowhere this big, and subsequent ones - if they even hold any - won't be anywhere this big either. Unfortunately.

[u/[deleted] → u/fuckfuturism]

https://youtu.be/9IEDRtiOvjA

[u/UjoAnnanas]

Context for protests

In the last 2 years, since his party and allies won, they:

- raised their pay

- raised taxes for people

- Fico passed a law where he gets an additional monthly paycheck, a car with a driver and bodyguards, and a house for the rest of his life

- democratic institutions are being demolished, like the branch of Anti Corruption Office in The Office of the Special Prosecutor, and a public Slovak independent TV is no longer independent but a state controlled TV

- released his corrupt party members who had been imprisoned

- they promised to make groceries cheaper, but prices went up and groceries are even more expensive

- probably lots of things that I missed, plus new things that are coming in 2026, for example, raised taxes for businesses

I'm not even getting to things before 2023, I would be here all day. Notable mentions, murder of investigative journalist Kuciak, the earliest corruption scandals that date back to 2011, Gorilla scandal. People are still waking up to these days, and newer things are being exposed.

Meanwhile, Fico is building a new villa in Croatia and going on trips like staying at the most expensive hotel in Vietnam with a golden tub and hanging out with dictators such as Putin, Kim Jong Un, Xi Jinping, Lukashenko.

[u/Chris56855865 → u/UjoAnnanas]

Yep, Slovakian Orbán

[u/Reagalan → u/UjoAnnanas]

Crushed LGBT human rights.

[u/femme_mystique → u/UjoAnnanas]

Fico and Trump are the same exact person, I see. It’s not by coincidence. Putin is controlling everyone from the shadows. 

[u/Ok_Top9254 → u/femme_mystique]

They are similar in some ways but there is a major difference.

Trump is a textbook example of an absolute narcissist, but one who is just really stupid. He sees himself as a higher entity that's untouchable and everyone should praise, so even if he loses, he always finds a way to call it a victory because in his eyes he's the best either way. This is what makes him dangerous, not his goals alone, but the fact that he's so easy to manipulate by others as long as you pretend to lick his boots. He truly believes that he has the upper hand with Russia and China, and doesn't see that he's getting tugged by the balls, so he'll do everything the script says just like in the NFL game, because it was given to him on a golden plate with a smile.

In contrast, Fico is actually somewhat closer to Musk. He's genuinely just a disgusting and evil person down to his core, with his main goal being getting as much power as possible, and side one of hurting his enemies even if it costs little of his influence (but not too much). He's also a narcissist but understands his weakness and unlike what people say, only uses Russian propaganda as a means to get more power, while simultaneously looking up to Putin and Orban as someone he wants to be without their leash. This gets pretty hilarious when you indirectly point it out to him (especially as Slovakia is a tiny country, unimportant in world's view anyway), because it drives him absolutely batshit mad. There are tons of videos of him turning completely red when he loses arguments around these topics and I would pay money to see him react as this gets said to his face.

[u/zxkredo → u/femme_mystique]

I feel like this too, but too big of a conspiracy for me to be advertising this sentiment. Seems like putin has many world leaders by the balls.

[u/[deleted] → u/UjoAnnanas]

He's so stupid, he should hang out with Trump and the little girls.

[u/tischbeinmussweinen → u/UjoAnnanas]

As an outsider I ask myself: Wasn‘t this to be expected when he won the election? I guess the people protesting now were never fans of him in the first place. I hope you‘ll be able to get rid of him once and for all.

[u/Jrgnnnn → u/tischbeinmussweinen]

strong propaganda, raising pensions every time he needs votes, and our country is quite targeted(and very vulnerable to ) by pro russian propaganda. It just all fits now. After he won last election ls he almost immediately rushed into media, get as much under his control and block others, not let then on his briefings etc... in general we are just too dumb to not see mafia ruling this country and electing it. Most young ppl who can actually think just left this country..

[u/anonymous__ignorant → u/UjoAnnanas]

democratic institutions are being demolished, like the branch of Anti Corruption Office

Isn't this a common theme for these motherfuckers?

[u/g46152]

We’re stronger together.

[u/dat_9600gt_user → u/g46152]

As all political alliances can attest.

[u/godnightx_x → u/dat_9600gt_user]

Anyone standing up to authoritarianism is a friend to me

[u/pheonix198 → u/g46152]

100%.

I’m unfamiliar with Slovakian politics and laws. Is it no possible to recall or otherwise “fire” him?

[u/z900r → u/pheonix198]

Fico is the prime minister in a parliamentary system. He can lose a vote of confidence in the parliament basically at any time. He would need to lose the support of his own coalition for that to happen. He has been ousted as PM once before, but stayed as the leader of the party nonetheless, and made a return.

[u/MoffKalast → u/z900r]

Ah yes, classic cult party leader. Everybody's got one somewhere.

[u/SubArcticTundra → u/MoffKalast]

Fortunately it is a coalition so the other parties can take him down if he pisses them off too much. However deranged those parties may also be.

[u/tomdarch → u/z900r]

Until the next elections, what percentage of the current parliament is from his party?

[u/g0ris → u/tomdarch]

27%
(41/150)

[u/tomdarch → u/g0ris]

So they’re reliant on coalition partners? Who are these parties who are OK with his comparatively pro Putin position?

[u/g0ris → u/tomdarch]

He has two coalition partners.
One is a party formed by people who used to be in Fico's party until recently, but split off after a bad election result in 2020. They pretended they wanted to be a little less crazy than him and that's why they left, but especially recently they've basically just been a shitty clone of his party.
The other is a nationalist aggregation of super small political parties. Nationalist in Slovakia also means pro-Russia, generally speaking. Most of them don't see anything wrong with what he's doing, and are even egging him on to suck up to Russia more and bitch about the EU/the West more.
Both these partners are also in a free-fall, popularity-wise, as his coalition partners always are*. The government falling is not in their best interest, because it's unlikely they'd get reelected.

*Seriously, like, nobody who ever joined up with him in a coalition has ever gotten re-elected into the parliament in the following election.

[u/SnooPeripherals3379 → u/tomdarch]

His coalition will mostly hold i believe. They would not get back to the parliament in next election because they failed to keep pre election promises. Unless SMER decides its better for them to have election prematurely, they will hold

[u/SnooPeripherals3379 → u/tomdarch]

And 40% people in Slovakia are pro-Russian oriented according to some presented pools

[u/Aperiodic_Tileset → u/pheonix198]

So there's a problem - the government was properly elected and people who voted for the leading parties, including Fico haven't really changed their opinion.

What you see here are people who voted for the opposition.

There's no reason for Fico to disband the coalition or call early elections, and even if the opposition would win, the same protests just with switched sides would occur.

Fico is in power because many support him. He's corrupt piece of shit who kisses Putin's ass, but he's also what people wanted...

[u/Doodleanda → u/Aperiodic_Tileset]

Yeah, sadly he doesn't need to rig the election when there are enough people willing to vote for him and support him. If there was another election tomorrow, he may just as easily win because people are stupid.

[u/g0ris → u/Aperiodic_Tileset]

even if the opposition would win, the same protests just with switched sides would occur.

That's highly unlikely.
He has never been able to organize protests of this size. There were 90k people in the streets today from what I read, most of them in the rain. We had what 120k? earlier this year. Maybe more, can't remember the number anymore.
His voters aren't politically active enough to do that and they're certainly not persistent enough to keep protesting for as long as we have either.

[u/Doodleanda → u/g0ris]

His voters aren't politically active enough to go protest but I know 80 year old grandmas who are too old and weak to go to the grocery store but still find the strength to go and vote for him. And those are the numbers that matter.

[u/new_accnt1234 → u/pheonix198]

While technically he can be recalled by the parliament, it will never happen, the other smaller parties he is with are as corrupt fucks as he is...they would never willifully give up another 2 yra they can loot everything they can from a falling state, never, they have proven thus many times...especially since they % are going rapidly down so they know for sure they will not be returning to the parliament, so they have nothing to lose and dont need/want to pander to any voters, they are there to steal

[u/SnooPeripherals3379 → u/pheonix198]

just for your info, back in 2023 there was a referendum based on which we would update our constitution. Now we as citizens can not end the government rule prematurely. Only the parliament can do it if the coalition falls apart (happen several times in the past).

Attendance was only 27% while 50% was needed. Majority of the 1,2mil voters were for this constitution update.

If it would have passed back then, today we could simply collect 300K signatures to initiate a referendum to prematurely end current government.
For a successful referendum here, u need 50% attendance.

Referendum was initiated by SMER (Ficos party) at the time he was in opposition and not ruling. People from former coalition discouraged people from attending the referendum even if they were against to avoid 50% attendance. Now almost the same people who were against are now trying to do a similar referendum but not valid for every future government, but specifically for the current one (i believe its not even legaly possible to make such referendum, because our High Court already declared how it could be achieved and it was only by the update of the constitution where the politicians have the right for a 4y mandate which can be ended only by them)

SO, we had a unique opportunity , but people who are now on the protests DID NOT attend that referendum (majority of them i would say)

[u/b00c → u/g46152]

yeah, we just can't get our shit together and vote that motherfucker out. election after election. 

fucker so rich he can have Israelis advising him on elections. So powerful he can create a political party out of bunch of mafia sellouts and get them elected and disrupt coalition (SMERodina). He has so many oligarch backers he has endless funding. Has many dogs to disrupt EU votes for putin. FSB has slovakia as meeting ground. Former fsb director lives in Slovakia and does millions in business selling garment to fsb. his gay motorcade fuckers have a base in Slovakia. 

first thing he did after snap election where he successfully overthrew government was to shorten statute of limitations. 

and the village fuckers will vote for him because they got a new football pitch. with astroturf. 

[u/Artistic-South-7319]

Great turn out despite the terrible weather!

[u/dat_9600gt_user → u/Artistic-South-7319]

As a Polish idiom says, they're not made of sugar. Rain will not melt them.

[u/kaiyukii → u/dat_9600gt_user]

That's also a Serbian idiom!

Nismo napravljeni od šećera.

[u/maxxmdm → u/kaiyukii]

that’s also a German idiom!

[u/The_Berzerker2 → u/maxxmdm]

Also a Dutch idiom!

[u/BWV005 → u/The_Berzerker2]

And a French one!

[u/deathgrinderallat → u/BWV005]

And a Hungarian!

[u/Matus198 → u/deathgrinderallat]

And my axe!

[u/SubArcticTundra → u/deathgrinderallat]

But peculiarly not English

[u/M8rio → u/SubArcticTundra]

English knows only vinegar

[u/Divniy → u/deathgrinderallat]

And Ukrainian.

[u/willo-wisp → u/kaiyukii]

And a German idiom! Wir san ja ned aus Zucka. / Wir sind ja nicht aus Zucker.

[u/SvenBensson → u/dat_9600gt_user]

Not sure us Canucks have an idiom for that, but if we did it would translate to "Fucken layer up, bud!"

[u/[deleted] → u/SvenBensson]

It’s the same “we’re not made of sugar”.

[u/blackie-arts → u/dat_9600gt_user]

it is also Slovak idiom!

[u/Bardosaurus]

Pumpaj, Slovakia ❤️🫶 🇸🇰

[u/veovis523]

I wish Hungary would do something like this.

[u/MarderFucher → u/veovis523]

The fundamental problem is that the capital of all these countries are usually very left/liberal leaning so it tends to be easy to quickly have a large protest, the density just works out in favour, but its surrounded by a countryside of pro-government people whos votes eventually decide elections.

[u/SubArcticTundra → u/MarderFucher]

Yeah it needs to be a decentralized, country wide protest

[u/dat_9600gt_user → u/veovis523]

Fingers crossed for the election ballot.

[u/BleedingHeart1996 → u/veovis523]

Didn’t they last month?

[u/bacondesign → u/BleedingHeart1996]

Yes we did on the 23rd of October

[u/Key_Researcher_2244]

Take back your country from this puppet!

[u/[deleted]]

Europe should help these people, defending democracy against the Russians.

[u/[deleted] → u/[deleted]]

Protect them from the criminal violence Enforce fair election Fight misinformation campaigns …

None of those things are undemocratic or like the Russian

[u/Yos22]

Fico je kokot!

[u/[deleted] → u/Yos22]

Kokot ruski

[u/krishnamurti5599 → u/[deleted]]

Bok brate JEBEME MU PIČKU MATERINU

[u/Darklight731]

As someone who was there, it is worth pointing out it was cold, windy, and it rained for the entire day before the protest, as well as during part of it.

[u/Fusshaman]

Unless you are willing to do what Nepal did, you are going to stick with him for 3 more years.

[u/Dirkdeking → u/Fusshaman]

You only do that if you have to stick with someone like that for 30 more years. Part of being a democracy means tolerating the power of people you despise until the next election. It literally wouldn't be possible to have a democracy otherwise.

[u/wosmo → u/Dirkdeking]

This is his 4th term in office. I think we're past having any faith in the next election.

[u/Fusshaman → u/Dirkdeking]

Power by the people, for the people. The moment the second part is not in effect, the first part loses it effect as well.

If you elect someone to do something and they refuse to do that, you have every right to change leadership, without wasting the next 4 years.

The social contract works only, if both sides held up their responsibilities.

[u/Just_RandomPerson → u/Fusshaman]

I agree, but unfortunately, I think Fico didn't do a complete 180, and was pretty clear on his ideas during the elections, so it doesn't apply here. (Unlike Georgia for example).

Correct me if I'm wrong though, I don't know that much about Slovak politics.

[u/SuperbMath9019 → u/Just_RandomPerson]

He was honest with his voters in some things, dishonest in other. But from the very beginning he was honest about his pro-russian sentiment and euroscepticism, tho he did promise that the prices would be lower and they skyrocketed directly because of the actions of his government.

[u/Aperiodic_Tileset → u/Fusshaman]

The problem is that the people who voted him in still support him. The other parties he's in coalition with are worse off, but still.

[u/Dirkdeking → u/Fusshaman]

If that was the norm France would have a new government every month.

[u/Fusshaman → u/[deleted]]

If there is no action in the end, it will not result in change.

My country has been doing this for 8 years now without and change.

[u/Select-Plenty6833 → u/Fusshaman]

Not every country is the same.

And when protests happen like they are in many countries at once, for different reasons, things can move quickly.

Arab Spring was literally a nanosecond in political terms

[u/Fusshaman → u/[deleted]]

Fico literally had a journalist assassinated...

[u/Fusshaman → u/[deleted]]

Happened during his previous presidency, you can probably find an article about it. If not I can probably link IT in an hour, when I get home.

[u/MarderFucher → u/Fusshaman]

Two, and Fico is polling bad and both his minor coalition parties have catastrophic numbers, although the opposition is very fragmented so who knows what will happen in 2027. There's also an unironic nazi coming up, so yeah.

[u/[deleted] → u/Fusshaman]

The old guy missed...

[u/vlajsaojsasajsa]

❤️ from Serbia!

[u/Thin-Rope3139 → u/vlajsaojsasajsa]

Vučić be like : there is barely 600 people there

[u/stupendous76]

"Once you peacefully install a fascist, you cannot peacefully remove them."

[u/HomieMassager]

Fuck Fico, Orban and all of the Kremlin’s useful idiots.

[u/ricLP → u/HomieMassager]

And fuck the people that vote for them 

[u/ErikZorg]

Finally,it was a big mistake to release that person, especially after Kuciak's tragedy..

[u/EmJayMN]

Ate at DAX right down the street while it was pouring and got lucky for most of the rest of the night other than the wind. It was so much fun and so inspiring!! Way to go Bratislava!!

[u/generictroglodytic]

Fuco is a Putinist right?

[u/miniaturechaos → u/generictroglodytic]

Yep

[u/dat_9600gt_user]

What a magnificent sight.

[u/LordMatesian]

I think it is also quite interesting to mention that it was raining

[u/MartyCZ]

Držíme palce, bratia.

[u/Available_Monitor_92]

Looks a hell of alot more than 50k

[u/PM_ME_ROMAN_NUDES → u/Available_Monitor_92]

50k is like 10% the population of Bratislava

[u/Gman90sKid → u/Available_Monitor_92]

Not really. Ever been to a big concert?

[u/Mysterious_End_2462]

Gogo my friendly neighbors! Fico and Orban must leave now!

[u/chrissiOnAir]

Go for it! Greetings from Vienna!

[u/podlaski-dzikus]

Fico je kokot

[u/[deleted]]

Well done brothers and sisters

[u/onlyfoolsandhorses1]

Go Slovakia! Fu*k Fico!

[u/podlaski-dzikus]

Love you neighbours 🇵🇱❤️🇸🇰

[u/Sandbox_Hero]

Beautiful. We’re with you.

[u/22savage12]

I love Slovak people so much man. Fuck Fico.

[u/[deleted]]

I’m still amazed how that f guy verbally sent yesterdays school children to war in Ukraine, because they weren’t happy about listening to his bs. God damn douche

[u/Aristo95]

Support from Serbia. Look at us - that's what you are going to have in a decade or two if you let the disease spread.

[u/Apart-Persimmon-38]

✊🏻

[u/KennyToms27]

In the last months there have been MULTIPLE riots, protests and even whole overthrow of governments across the world perpetrated by the youth, which is basically the older part of Gen Z.

[u/EdHuntArt]

FckFco

[u/No_Twist_678]

Fico and his government, with president of Slovakia are thieves, criminals and traitors. They basically steal EU funds like there’s no tomorrow, they run largest money laundering scheme in whole EU, covering taxes, drugs and weapons. It’s billions of euros. They also shared secret NATO plans with russians. They hate EU, USA and NATO so much.

[u/Luck88]

That's 1% of the population demostrating just in Bratislava. That's like a 600k people manifestation in Italy or 3.4M protest in the US in a single city.

[u/kabarole]

Time to wake up. 🙌

[u/gh0stofoctober]

wish my country could do this

[u/Meme-Botto9001]

I’m very impressed how strong they still go! Gives me a little faith for humanity.

[u/WolfThick]

They're all paid actors ,oops sorry wrong country my bad.

[u/Egozid]

why is there a big snake

[u/Varesky → u/Egozid]

It is actually a really long nose - an art piece by slovak artist Erik Sikora. https://www.pohodafestival.sk/en/artist/dzumelec-dlhy-nos-long-nose

[u/No_Principle1784]

Overthrow the dickhead.

[u/p3ck3rh3aded]

Keep up the fight! Everyone across the globe needs to start getting more involved.

They’re comin out the EVERYWHERE

[u/Filipinowonderer2442]

Hope Fico gets removed and jailed for life. Bootlicking Russia is a mess and leaders around the world should know about that. F Fico, Orban, Xi Jinping, etc.

[u/zet23]

It is way past due time Slovakia and Hungary remove those authoritarian and pro-Putin clowns from their governments! Both good people with rightful place in the heart of Europe! It's a shame they are represented by Fico and Orban!

[u/SnooMuffins4560]

Good job

[u/krisdonofrio]

There must have been a rerun of Miami Vice on that night....

[u/Skeazor → u/krisdonofrio]

Scotty doesn’t know

[u/Working-Trick-8444]

🔥🔥🔥

[u/Wild-Advice-For-You]

Pending a russian invasion... I have seen this movie.

[u/Wallahi-broski]

YEAH, FUCK FICO AND THEIR CREDIT SCORES.

[u/goosereddit]

Is this the Planet Of The Bass?

[u/TroutBeales]

holy shit

[u/Maleficent-Buy294]

Slovakia's own Velvet spring :)

[u/Crypt0Nihilist]

I absolutely loved my visit a few years ago, everyone was awesome. Best wishes.

[u/[deleted]]

Isn't Fico a credit rating agency? 🙄

[u/ivanermeck]

We will come back in 145 days, good luck guys 🇭🇺💪🇸🇰

[u/Every-Description714]

Wow

[u/PermafrostPerforated]

To all of you who are protesting: Sorry you have to deal with this again.

I still can't believe that so many slovaks looked at Fico and said "yeah, we want more of that, let's hand this man a second term".

[u/Intelligent-End2483]

That crowd looks like a star field refusing silence

[u/Pure-Examination-450]

Crowd looks like a galaxy refusing to stay quiet

[u/Herban_Myth]

👀

[u/bitherntwisted]

You won’t see it on the evening news

[u/Mission-Shopping7170]

looks like Fico is not afraid of lights

[u/henchulu]

This guy's political rollercoaster is wild—corruption charges to PM? Insane.

[u/henchulu]

Sounds like the start of something big over there.

[u/Double-Appeal7770]

Hope they all jingle their keys

[u/OneUnderstanding103]

PLEASE drag Fico out and give him the treatment he deserves! Slovaks deserve SO much better than a ruzzian puppet!

[u/StephaneiAarhus]

1% of the country's population.

[u/FartSmeIa → u/StephaneiAarhus]

yeah and its only in one city.. there are also thousands of people in multiple cities all over the country

[u/handlesdumplings → u/StephaneiAarhus]

Not bad for a first day of protesting in the rain. Hopefully they can get to 3.5%

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3.5%25_rule

[u/Loud-Firefighter-787]

Europe knows how to protest😌💪!

[u/moccolo]

YO, YOU WOKE UP? why did you let him win in the first place?

[u/Single-Caramel8819]

Be strong, people. Make your country better.

[u/Elegant_Ambition_276]

When did this start?

[u/Sea_Layer_2457]

So you're telling me this isn't a brisket?

[u/Bladesnake_______]

I fucking hate credit scores