Slovakians rally to defend democracy on Velvet Revolution anniversary

In a striking echo of the Velvet Revolution fight for freedom 35 years ago, thousands of Slovaks filled the streets of Bratislava to protest against Prime Minister Robert Fico’s populist policies, which critics say are dragging the country toward authoritarianism.

“Slovakia is and will be part of the Western civilization,” declared František Mikloško, a conservative veteran of the 1989 revolution. “We don’t want anyone to move us toward Moscow.”

The rally brought together a rare coalition of opposition forces, from the liberal Progressive Slovakia to the conservative Christian Democrats, united in their concerns over Fico’s leadership. “The government takes our freedom and democracy,” read a banner held aloft by demonstrators.

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Freedom and Solidarity leader Branislav Gröhling accused Fico of mimicking the autocratic playbook of Hungary’s Viktor Orbán. “He is leading us to an authoritarian regime like in Russia and communist China,” Gröhling said.

Michal Šimečka, leader of the liberal Progressive Slovakia, vowed resistance, rallying the crowd: “Slovakia is and will be a nation of free people. And free people won’t be silent.”

Fico, whose leftist Smer party won last year’s elections on a pro-Russia platform, has drawn international criticism for policies that critics argue undermine democracy. These include attempts to control public broadcasting, amend anti-corruption laws, and end military aid to Ukraine.

“We cannot allow this government to erase what the Velvet Revolution gave us—freedom, democracy, and our place in Europe,” said one protester, a student carrying the Slovak flag.

The protest occurred on the anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, a peaceful movement that toppled communist rule in the former Czechoslovakia and ushered in parliamentary democracy. As Slovakia celebrates its past, many fear for its future.

Fico’s opponents promise to continue the fight, with Šimečka reaffirming: “We owe it to those who stood here in 1989. Slovakia’s democracy will not fall without a fight.”