Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico says he is proud that his party, Smer, will be expelled from the Party of European Socialists. He made the comment during a ceremony marking the 81st anniversary of the Carpathian-Dukla Operation.
According to political analyst Miroslav Řádek, the move will reduce Smer’s influence on European politics. He noted that the Party of European Socialists is the second-largest faction in the European Parliament.
Smer’s membership has been suspended since autumn 2023 after it joined a coalition with nationalist parties. Sources say its continued actions—ranging from courting Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping to attacking journalists—have exhausted the patience of its European partners.
As a result, Fico’s party will be left outside the European political mainstream. The Brussels-based portal Euractiv reports that Smer’s MEPs are already operating on the fringes of the European Parliament, adding that “the socialists have had enough.” The Hlas party will also remain suspended.
Fico blames his attendance at the 80th anniversary commemorations of the end of World War II in Moscow and Beijing for Smer’s suspension. Former Foreign Minister Ivan Korčok, however, called the expulsion bad news for Slovakia, saying it will further weaken the country’s influence in Europe.
Source: STV, euractiv
