Progressive Slovakia hits back at Fico over jab at MP’s private life

Slovakia's Progressive Slovakia party has sharply rebuked Prime Minister Robert Fico over his criticism of MP Lucia Plaváková. “We reject Robert Fico's attack on the private life of Lucia Plaváková, to which he stooped on the anniversary of the terrorist attack on Zámocká Street. She has broken no law and not the constitution,” the party said.

The party was recalling the attack of 12 October 2022. In front of the Tepláreň gay bar on Zámocká Street in Bratislava, a 19-year-old far-right sympathiser, Juraj Krajčík, shot dead 23-year-old Matúš Horváth and 27-year-old Juraj Vankulič. He seriously wounded another woman.

A counterattack

Progressive Slovakia advised the prime minister to first “sweep in front of his own door”. “The constitution says not a word about the union of a man, a woman and three lovers,” the party quipped. It recalled that not long ago the married prime minister was spotted at a football match in Croatia with his young companion Katarína Salajová.

What Fico said

Fico spoke about Plaváková's wedding in a statement to the press at the Government Office. He referred to the MP's oath and to the Slovak constitution, which defines marriage as a union of a man and a woman.

“I ask why such a values provocation is needed when the chair of an important parliamentary human rights committee openly violates the constitution,” Fico said, adding that otherwise he supposedly has nothing against same-sex couples. “Who will benefit from such an example?” the prime minister asked. He also claimed that failing to respect the constitution would affect the citizens of Slovakia.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz