Robert Fico's Pro-Russia Stance Threatens Europe's Unity on Ukraine in Slovakia

Robert Fico, a socially conservative left-wing populist and two-time former prime minister of Slovakia, is rising in the polls again while promising to end military aid to Ukraine and veto "pointless" European Union sanctions on Russia. This could threaten the EU's political unity in the face of Russian aggression and renew the potential for an authoritarian slide that further challenges the bloc's democratic ideals. Fico is benefiting from Slovakia's political turmoil and a growing majority of Slovaks who object to military aid to Ukraine.