Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico Declines EU Parliamentary Alliances Amid Controversies

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has announced that his ruling party, SMER-SSD, will not rejoin the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group in the European Union parliament. The decision follows the suspension of SMER and Slovakia's junior ruling party HLAS from the S&D after they aligned with a far-right party. Fico emphasized SMER's need to maintain sovereign positions on issues such as the Ukraine war and migration.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico declared on Thursday that his ruling party, SMER-SSD, will remain outside of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group in the European Union parliament. He indicated the party is unlikely to join other alliances after being suspended last October by the S&D.

The suspension came after SMER, along with Slovakia's junior ruling party HLAS, formed a government in coalition with a far-right party. In a video message, Fico expressed disagreement with many of S&D's views and stressed the importance of maintaining sovereign positions on various issues, including the Ukraine war and migration.

Fico criticized the notion of conforming to demands contrary to Slovak national-state interests. He also mentioned that his government had ceased military aid to Ukraine and advocated for rapid peace talks. Fico's stance highlights his reluctance to join any European political structures lacking alignment with social democracy values.