Slovakia is slipping deeper into political crisis amid worsening relations between populist prime minister Robert Fico and president Andrej Kiska over the government’s handling of the murder of an investigative journalist. He had been looking into alleged links between Slovak political figures and Italian businessmen with connections to the Italian ‘Ndrangheta mafia group. About 20,000 people marched in towns and cities across Slovakia on Friday to demand justice for the slain couple and an end to corruption, and Mr Kiska urged Mr Fico to call snap elections or radically overhaul his government. Mr Fico refused and accused Mr Kiska, opposition parties and his critics in the media of wanting to “dance on the graves” of the murdered pair. “Causing distractions with conspiracy theories does not free the prime minister from the obligation to solve the deep political crisis or make way for someone who can.

Source: The Irish Times March 05, 2018 19:41 UTC