EditSlovaks protest Fico overhaul, joining Eastern European push for judicial integrity
Similar movements in Bulgaria and Romania underscore growing public backlash against populist administrations in EU states
Thousands of Slovaks took to the streets across the country on Tuesday, protesting government reforms to the judicial system that critics argue undermine the rule of law in the European Union member state, amid broader regional unrest over corruption and institutional abuse.
Demonstrators packed a central square in Bratislava and rallied in eight other cities, waving Slovak and EU flags while chanting “Enough of Fico” and “Shame!” Slogans like “Fico’s government is helping Mafia” highlighted public fury over perceived favoritism toward organized crime.
The protests, organized by the largest opposition party Progressive Slovakia, targeted legislative changes rushed through parliament last week by Prime Minister Robert Fico’s leftist-nationalist coalition. These include dismantling the whistleblower protection agency and altering rules on crown witnesses—measures opponents say weaken anti-corruption tools.
“They took a chainsaw to the rule of law,” Progressive Slovakia leader Michal Simecka told the Bratislava crowd, as shown in live online footage.
Fico, who returned to power in 2023 after previous stints as premier, has pursued policies at the EU level that closely align with those of Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orbán. Both leaders emphasize national sovereignty over certain EU laws, oppose extensive military aid to Ukraine, and advocate for a harder stance on migration while criticizing the EU’s Green Deal and LGBTQ+ rights.
Fico has echoed Orbán in blocking or delaying EU decisions on Russia sanctions and Ukraine support, using the bloc’s unanimity rule to extract concessions, such as unlocking frozen funds amid rule-of-law concerns.
In October 2025, Fico discussed his Smer party potentially joining Orban’s Patriots for Europe group in the European Parliament, further cementing their alliance against Brussels’ mainstream agenda.
His administration defends the reforms, claiming the whistleblower agency was politically abused under prior governments. Additional changes – weakening penalties for financial crimes, overhauling the public broadcaster, and constitutional amendments prioritizing national laws – have drawn scrutiny from the European Commission, which has withheld billions in EU funds over similar issues in both Slovakia and Hungary.
Tuesday’s rallies mark one of the largest since February 2025, when tens of thousands protested Fico’s foreign policy shift toward Russia. The government has faced repeated demonstrations since 2023, reflecting deep divisions in a country once hailed for its post-communist democratic progress.
The Slovak unrest unfolds against a backdrop of escalating protests across Eastern Europe over judicial abuse and corruption. In Bulgaria, mass demonstrations in late 2025 – peaking with tens of thousands rallying against the ruling coalition – forced the government’s resignation on 11 December amid accusations of state capture, oligarchic influence, and judicial misconduct, including a high-profile case against Varna’s mayor.
Nearly one million Bulgarians protest oligarchy as Borissov hints at January resignation
Protesters there decried governance failures and budget plans seen as enabling corruption, culminating in historic mobilizations symbolizing resistance to abuse of power.
In Romania, protests have persisted for days into mid-December 2025, with crowds supporting judges and prosecutors exposing systemic judicial corruption through a bombshell documentary.
Romania’s “Captured justice”: documentary sparks nationwide protests and demands for judicial reform
Demonstrators in Bucharest and beyond have rallied against perceived institutional decay, mirroring concerns in Slovakia about governments weaponizing the judiciary to shield allies and silence critics.
With Reuters, edited by g.g.
Caption: People carrying flags and placards hold up their mobile phones’ torches during a demonstration against the three-party coalition government of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, in an action themed ‘Protest against the mafia’, in Bratislava, Slovakia, 16 December 2025. People protest against the legislation passed by Slovak parliament which Transforms Whistleblowers Protection Office. EPA/JAKUB GAVLAK
Updated: December 17, 2025 - 06:59
