Slovak National Party Leader Danko Criticizes Fico After Party Congress

Andrej Danko was re-elected as chairman of the Slovak National Party (SNS) and used the occasion to criticize Prime Minister Robert Fico's governing approach. Danko said Smer-SD's politics "cannot be about revenge and penitents," while emphasizing that despite his criticisms, he does not want to bring down the government. The SNS leader revealed that two current ministers, Martina Šimkovičová and Tomáš Taraba, do not have guaranteed spots on the party's candidate list, noting that both were personally recruited by Fico rather than emerging from within SNS ranks. SNS is a junior partner in Slovakia's ruling coalition alongside Fico's dominant Smer-SD party and the Hlas party. The party congress comes amid ongoing tensions within the coalition government, as Danko seeks to position SNS as offering "realistic solutions" to voters in upcoming periods.