Slovak PM Fico Denies Nepotism Claims While Acknowledging Other Political Appointee at State Company

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico defended himself against accusations of nepotism regarding his son, stating that his son does not hold a leadership position at Transpetrol, the state-owned oil pipeline operator. However, Fico inadvertently acknowledged that a descendant of another member of his Smer-SD party does sit on the company's board. Fico leads Slovakia's ruling social-democratic party Smer-SD, which has faced repeated criticism over political appointments to state-owned enterprises. His comment appeared to highlight ongoing concerns about political patronage in state companies, an issue that has been a recurring theme in Slovak politics and a frequent target of media scrutiny.