Slovak Parliament Passes Law Protecting Communist and Fascist Symbols, Opposition Cries Foul

Slovakia's parliament approved legislation that places communist symbols like hammers and sickles under state protection, sparking fierce opposition criticism. The law was pushed through by Hlas, a center-left party that is part of the ruling coalition alongside the social-democratic Smer-SD and the nationalist SNS. Opposition parties denounced the measure as an attempt to rehabilitate both communist and fascist ideologies, with critics arguing it represents a dangerous historical revisionism. The legislation has generated significant controversy in a country that experienced decades of communist rule until 1989 and also grappled with a Nazi-allied fascist state during World War II.