Sunday

10th Dec 2023

Why Slovak PM called journalists 'dirty prostitutes'

  • Fico at the opening concert of the Slovak EU presidency. Coverage of fraud allegations over the event are "a targeted attack against our successful presidency," he said. (Photo: eu2016sk/Flickr)

Slovak prime minister Robert Fico's comment to journalists that “some of you are dirty anti-Slovak prostitutes” understandably caused consternation in the international media, but local reporters were less shocked.

He first called journalists prostitutes in public in 2008, and is often insulting towards them.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

Fico has been under pressure for months from the media and opposition parties over corruption allegations linking his interior minister to a prominent businessman.

But the immediate cause of his latest outburst were questions during a press conference on Wednesday (23 November) over alleged corruption related to Slovakia's six-month term holding the presidency of the EU Council.

Transparency International Slovakia (TIS) claimed earlier this week that the presentation of the EU presidency logo, and the opening concert in the Bratislava capital, were tainted by fraud.

An ex-employee of the Slovak Foreign Ministry, Zuzana Hlavkova, told the pressure group that both events were several times more expensive than originally planned, and organised by agencies close to Fico's ruling Social-Democratic party Smer-SD.

She said Fico had sent an external media specialist to the foreign ministry, which had boosted the costs.

TIS officially requested all the relevant information on the case and maintained on Wednesday that it had still not received full evidence on the real cost of the events and their procurement procedure.

But the foreign ministry claimed that no law had been broken and that all the legally binding documents had been published. It said that it was not in the competence of the young employee to see into all the financial operations.

System of cartels

Hlavkova told the media she had met foreign minister Miroslav Lajcak in March, two weeks after she resigned.

“He said he understood my ideals but that our hearts must go in hand with our reason,” she said.

She said the minister told her that “unfortunately, in Slovakia we are living in the system of various cartels in the IT sector and other arrangements that the state can do nothing about but adapt to”.

On Wednesday, Lajcak denied putting any political pressure on his employees. He said the final bill for the Slovak EU presidency would be well below the approved budget of €70 million and suggested he would quit if any wrongdoing is uncovered.

Lajcak argued however that it was up to official state control authorities to give their judgement, not media or social networks. He added that the coverage of the case this week was “absurd”.

Hlavkova's claims were supported by another foreign ministry employee, who also resigned due to alleged malpractices, and she was backed by several NGOs and a petition of Slovaks currently studying abroad.

Lajcak, a candidate for UN secretary-general this year, is one of the heavyweights in Fico's cabinet.

“I would wish other countries to have diplomats of his rank,” Fico said on Wednesday, adding that the recent media coverage was “a targeted attack against our successful [EU] presidency.”

The allegations over the EU presidency come as the media and opposition are demanding action over interior minister Robert Kalinak's alleged dealings with Ladislav Basternak, a businessman facing charges of tax fraud.

Opposition parties have organised several confidence votes to dismiss Kalinak, and have launched protests in the residential area where Fico rents a luxury apartment from Basternak.

Fico recently announced that he would move to a new house, and local commentators are speculating that Kalinak may quit after the end of Slovak EU presidency.

Journalist murder shocks Slovakia

The reporter's research on alleged Italian mafia links with EU farm funds in Slovakia has been hinted at as a possible motive for his murder.

EU presidency strengthened Slovakia's government

Prime minister Robert Fico gained EU and domestic praise for his six month at EU helm, but the far right is still on the rise in a country where Europe is still not a top issue.

Polish truck protest at Ukraine border disrupts war supplies

Disruption at the Polish-Ukrainian border by disaffected Polish truckers is escalating, potentially affecting delivery of military aid to Ukraine. A Polish request to reintroduce permits for Ukrainian drivers has been described as "a shot to the head" during war.

Opinion

Tusk's difficult in-tray on Poland's judicial independence

What is obvious is that PiS put in place a set of interlocking safeguards for itself which, even after their political defeat in Poland, will render it very difficult for the new government to restore the rule of law.

Opinion

Can Green Deal survive the 2024 European election?

Six months ahead of the EU elections, knocking an 'elitist' climate agenda is looking like a vote-winner to some. Saving the Green Deal and the EU's climate ambitions starts with listening to Europeans who are struggling to make ends meet.

Latest News

  1. How Moldova is trying to control tuberculosis
  2. Many problems to solve in Dubai — honesty about them is good
  3. Sudanese fleeing violence find no haven in Egypt or EU
  4. How should EU reform the humanitarian aid system?
  5. EU suggests visa-bans on Israeli settlers, following US example
  6. EU ministers prepare for all-night fiscal debate
  7. Spain's Nadia Calviño backed to be EIB's first female chief
  8. Is there hope for the EU and eurozone?

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  2. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries
  3. European Citizen's InitiativeThe European Commission launches the ‘ImagineEU’ competition for secondary school students in the EU.
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste
  5. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  6. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us