Anti-Government Protests and Democratic Erosion in Slovakia

In its 2025 report, Transparency International highlighted Slovakia as a “country to watch”, noting that the reforms implemented by Prime Minister R. Fico’s government are directly associated with a higher perception of corruption. In the rankings, Slovakia dropped twelve places to 59th place out of 180 countries. The organization also criticized the actions of Fico’s government regarding political appointments, the circumvention of standard legislative procedures, and efforts that have undermined independent institutions, media, and civil society. These actions have increased threat perception and intimidation among NGOs and representatives of civil society operating in the country. 

Yet, Slovakians have recently taken to the streets in large numbers for a series of ongoing anti-government protests. The most recent protests occurred on April 4th of 2025, with demonstrators marching in Bratislava and other cities throughout Slovakia, as well as in European capitals, such as London and Madrid. This time, the protesters are rallying against an amendment to the government’s draft NGO bill, which critics argue would discredit NGOs that receive foreign funding. The bill has drawn comparisons to Russia’s foreign agent law and has raised further concerns about democratic erosion in the country. 

Anti-government protests have been taking place since December 2024, following Fico’s visit to Russia. One of the largest demonstrations occurred on January 24th. Over 60 000 protesters gathered in the capital Bratislava, describing the visit as an act of treason and calling for the resignation of Fico. Prior to the demonstration, Slovakia’s President, Peter Pellegrini, who is an ally of Fico and a member of the same political party, convened a meeting of the country’s Security Council, which is the advisory body of the government regarding military policy and security systems. Pellegrini expressed concerns that the nation’s constitutional establishment was being threatened amid the protests. Fico also alleged that groups unable to attain power through democratic means were plotting a coup—thus seeking to undermine the legitimacy of political opponents. Both the Prime Minister and the President portray the opposition as adversaries to the existing constitutional order, labeling them as existential threats to national security and unfoundedly suggesting their association with foreign entities. This is also illustrated by Fico’s statement about the protests during a parliamentary session: “We see a structure that wants to abuse these (protest) meetings mainly for a potential clash with the state security apparatus to further escalate tension, further foster aggression”. Furthermore, the government has indicated a willingness to restrict civil liberties of both opponents and the media. This is a significant cause for concern, as these actions indicate a substantial weakening of democratic institutions according to Freedom House.

The recent actions of Fico and his government display concerning signs of democratic erosion occurring in Slovakia and exhibit characteristics of “executive aggrandizement”. Unlike a coup, in which a change in leadership occurs suddenly, executive aggrandizement is a more gradual process, which occurs when there is a gradual increase of power by a leader and weakening checks on executive power through institutional reforms (Bermeo, 2016: 10–11).

Scholars have redefined the original concept of executive aggrandizement over time. For instance, Melis G. Laebens describes it as a situation, in which “the incumbent leader of government in a democracy implement or visibly try to implement practices and legal changes, which have an effect on weakening both horizontal accountability of the executive towards other branches of government and vertical accountability of the government towards voters and political opposition, without altogether suspending democratic institutions” (Laebens, 2023: 9). In this context, we can characterize the actions of the Slovak government as fitting the case of executive aggrandizement. Horizontal accountability is crucial in examining how Fico’s government is enacting institutional reforms, which undermine checks on power. In contrast, vertical accountability is applicable to Fico and his government’s response to protests and public dissent, characterized by suppression of media and the marginalization of opposition voices. These actions are an example of the phenomenon of executive aggrandizement in Slovakia, which erodes democratic checks and public accountability while attempting to preserve the appearance of democratic structures.

In October 2024, the European Commission and the European Parliament exerted pressure on Slovakia to comply with the rule of law by freezing the funds meant for the country. This pressure has so-far proven effective, as the Slovak government ultimately retracted controversial policies, such as amendments to corruption laws, which were meant to eliminate prosecution of crimes involving EU funds. This proactive effort to combat democratic backsliding stands in contrast to the EU’s more cautious approach with Hungary, where it took years to address similar concerns. As the protesters in Slovakia show efforts in holding Fico’s government accountable for its actions, the European Union must continue to pressure the country, which is showing clear signs of democratic erosion.

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