Survey Reveals Deep Public Distrust in Slovak Government Ministers

A new public opinion survey has found widespread dissatisfaction with the performance of Slovakia's cabinet ministers, with citizens giving the majority of the government's 15 ministers failing or near-failing grades. Twelve ministers received a grade of three — equivalent to a C — while three received a four, the lowest passing grade in Slovakia's school grading system, which runs from one to five with one being the highest. Michal Mislovič, an analyst at the NMS polling agency which conducted the survey, said the results point to a broader crisis of confidence in the country's leadership. "We are witnessing a deep distrust toward the state's elites," Mislovič said. The findings reflect growing frustration among Slovak citizens with the ruling coalition government led by Prime Minister Robert Fico, whose Smer-SD party returned to power in 2023 and has since faced sustained criticism over governance, rule of law concerns, and its foreign policy orientation.