Slovaks Grade Their Ministers — Most Would Fail at School

A new public opinion survey asked Slovak citizens to grade all 15 members of the current cabinet using a school-style rating system, and the results were largely unflattering for the government. Tourism and Sports Minister Rudolf Huliak received the lowest rating of any minister, making him the most poorly regarded member of Prime Minister Robert Fico's coalition government. The majority of ministers received scores that, on Slovakia's standard grading scale of 1 (best) to 5 (worst), would be considered failing marks — meaning most cabinet members would not pass if the ratings were treated as school grades. Rudolf Huliak, a politician affiliated with the Slovak National Party (SNS), a nationalist party that forms part of the ruling coalition alongside Fico's Smer-SD, has been a controversial figure since taking office. Public approval ratings of individual ministers serve as an important indicator of government popularity and can influence both internal coalition dynamics and broader electoral sentiment ahead of future elections.