During a visit to Uzbekistan on Monday, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico suggested that authoritarian countries could be more economically effective than democratic countries and called for a reassessment of European democratic models.
FICO said Europe should consider a free election-based government system to maintain global competitiveness. He praised countries like Uzbekistan, China and Vietnam for their ability to act more decisively in economic affairs.
Under pressure from journalists, FICO clarified that he did not call for an end to democracy, but argued that participating in decision-making with too many political parties can weaken the state’s ability to act.
“If you have a hundred political parties, you can’t compete,” he said. “If the government is made up of four political entities, you can’t compete.”
Fico, who returned to power in 2023, has faced massive protests in recent months, with critics accusing him of being authoritarian and pursuing a pro-Russian foreign policy. He used to react by saying that the liberal opposition tried to overturn the election results through street pressure.
