Sorry, Malta

Slovakian General Prosecutor Jaromír Čižnár has apologised for his recent comment disparaging Malta in the light of the assassination of journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée, saying the comment was made in an “extremely difficult and emotionally overwhelming situation”

Slovakian General Prosecutor Jaromír Čižnár has apologised for his recent comment disparaging Malta in the light of the assassination of journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée.

Čižnár had recently remarked at a press briefing, apparently in the heat of the moment, that, “This is not Malta, this is not Russia where they shoot journalists, we are in Slovakia and as long as I am here, this cannot happen here.”

The comments were subsequently picked up by the Maltese media.

In correspondence to the Maltese authorities seen by The Malta Independent on Sunday, Ladislav Hamran, a Slovakian member and president of Eurojust, said on behalf of Mr Čižnár: “In relation to the most regrettable and unfortunate statement, he would like to emphasise that it was delivered in an extremely difficult and emotionally overwhelming situation.

“Mr Čižnár’s sole intention when referring to Malta was to mention it as a country where a similar tragic event had occurred recently.

“Furthermore, Mr Čižnár would like to express his appreciation and deep respect to the Maltese competent authorities that they have been able to expeditiously identify the perpetrators of the bomb attack on the Maltese journalist [Daphne Caruana Galizia] and prosecute them before the court.”

In the meantime, Slovakia is still grappling with the tragedy. Tens of thousands of Slovaks rallied in massive anti-government protests across the country on Fri- day to demand a thorough investigation of the slayings of an investigative reporter and his fiancée, and changes in government.

The protesters packed a central square in Bratislava and other rallies took place in dozens of other places in Slovakia as well as abroad, the biggest since the 1989 Velvet Revolution.

The organizers want foreign experts to join the team investigating the killings and the creation of “a new trustworthy government with no people who are suspected of corruption” or ties to organized crime.

Jan Kuciak’s last unfinished story was about the activities of the Italian mafia in Slovakia and its ties to people close to Prime Minister Robert Fico, whose government is allegedly also linked to other corruption scandals.

“Slovakia is shaken as it has not been for a long time,” organizer Karolina Farska said.

The peaceful protesters had a message for Fico: “Resign,” they repeatedly chanted.

In the wake of the unprecedented slayings of Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova, Slovakia quickly turned from what seemed to be a stable European Union country into chaos.

In a speech last month, President Andrej Kiska talked about his country as “successful, proud and self-confident“. On 4 March, however, he said Slovakia faces a “serious political crisis” triggered by the shooting deaths. Police said Kuciak’s killing was likely linked to his work.

The political storm has been intensifying daily since the bodies were found 25 February.

Amid heated exchanges between the ruling coalition and the Opposition, claims by Fico of conspiracies against him, and his repeated verbal attacks on Kiska, a growing number of people have started to turn against the Fico government, threatening its very existence.

“Many have realized that the situation is becoming critical,” said Michal Vasecka, an analyst from the Bratislava Policy Institute think tank. “A fight started to prevent Slovakia from becoming another Hungary, an autocracy controlled by a small group of oligarchs.”

Reflecting the popular mood and growing protests, Kiska has called for substantial changes in the government or for an early election to resolve the crisis. “There’s a huge public distrust of the state,” Kiska said. “And many don’t trust law enforcement authorities ... This distrust is justified. We crossed the line, things went too far and there’s no way back.” Fico fired back, accusing the President of destabilizing the country with help from Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros, whom Kiska met privately in New York in September.

Soros dismissed Fico’s suggestion that he might have anything to do with the president’s proposals and the anti-government protests.

Vasecka, the analyst, said Fico’s conspiracy claims likely anger some people and contribute to their decision to join the protests because they hark back to the 1990s and the rule of authoritative Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar who led the country into international isolation. Meciar also targeted Soros.

“It reminds people of Meciar and also of communist rule. And a large part of society is very sensitive about it,” Vasecka said.

A junior party in the ruling coalition is demanding the resignation of Interior Minister Robert Kalinak. Thousands had already demanded Kalinak’s resignation last year after he was linked to earlier corruption scandals.

Meanwhile, the Opposition has requested a parliamentary noconfidence vote on the government, but a date has yet to be set.

Fico called the Opposition request an “attempted coup“.