German MEP Calls Slovakia's Uhrík a 'Classic Fascist,' Slams Fico for Following Orbán's Playbook

A German member of the European Parliament has launched a sharp attack on two of Slovakia's most prominent political figures, describing far-right politician Milan Uhrík as a 'classic fascist' and accusing Prime Minister Robert Fico of copying the authoritarian political style of Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán. Lukas Sieper, a German MEP, made the remarks in an interview with Slovak news outlet Aktuality, amid an ongoing review by the European Parliament into the political grouping associated with Uhrík's party, Republika. The European Parliament is examining the political family to which Republika belongs, a process that could have institutional and financial consequences for the party's standing in Brussels. Milan Uhrík leads Republika, a Slovak far-right nationalist party that has gained a foothold in both Slovak and European politics. Robert Fico, Slovakia's prime minister and leader of the left-nationalist Smer-SD party, has drawn repeated criticism from Western European politicians and EU officials for his pro-Russian stance, his attacks on independent institutions, and his increasingly close ideological alignment with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has long been accused of undermining democratic norms within the EU. Sieper's comments reflect growing concern among mainstream European lawmakers about the direction of Slovak politics under the current government.