Former Slovak Finance Minister Mikloš: Fico's Insistence That Slovakia Is Thriving Is 'Desperation'

Ivan Mikloš, a prominent Slovak economist and former finance minister, has sharply criticized Prime Minister Robert Fico's repeated public messaging that Slovakia is doing well, describing it as an act of political desperation. In a wide-ranging interview, the 66-year-old Mikloš — who previously served as an adviser to former Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová and to Ukrainian politicians — reflected on two decades since Fico's rise to power and what it has meant for Slovakia. He questioned whether the center-right governments of the past, particularly those led by the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ), could have done anything differently to prevent Fico from consolidating such lasting political dominance. Robert Fico, leader of the left-nationalist Smer-SD party and currently serving as prime minister for the third time, has held press conferences in recent months promoting the message that Slovakia is in a strong position economically and socially. Mikloš pushed back on this narrative, suggesting the messaging reflects political anxiety rather than genuine confidence. Fico's governments have been a defining and polarizing feature of Slovak politics since the mid-2000s, with critics accusing his administrations of democratic backsliding and conflicts with EU partners, particularly over rule-of-law concerns.