Slovak left-wing leader Robert Fico was appointed prime minister of Slovakia for the fourth time on Wednesday, after campaigning to end military aid to Ukraine and criticizing sanctions against Russia.
President Zuzana Čaputova appointed Fico and his cabinet after his SMER-SSD party won the September 30 election and formed a coalition with the center-left HLAS and nationalist parties SNS.
Fico resigned as prime minister in 2018 amid massive public protests against corruption after Slovakian investigative journalist Jan Kucijak was killed.
This time, he campaigned fiercely on promises to end Slovakia's official military aid to Ukraine, pursue an independent foreign policy from its partners in the European Union (EU) and the United States (US), and become tougher on detaining migrants who want to come to Western Europe.
Both Ukraine and migration may be among the topics at the October 26-27 EU summit, which Fico will attend.
Fico also declared himself an opponent of political liberalism, NGOs and transgender rights.
He praised the leader of neighboring Hungary, Viktor Orbán, as a politician who defends the interests of his country.
On the other hand, despite the apprehensions of Brussels and Washington, Fico has repeatedly said that he has no intention of pulling the country of 5,5 million people out of the EU or the US-led NATO alliance.
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