Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in a central square in the Slovak capital on Friday, waving banners opposing Prime Minister Robert Fico's policy shift closer to Russia after tensions between the government and the opposition rose.

Ahead of planned pro-European protests in around 20 Slovak cities Friday, the pro-Moscow ruling coalition on Thursday used an emergency meeting of the country’s Security Council to address what it alleged was an “organized escalation” of domestic tensions directed from abroad.

Thousands of Slovaks took to the streets on Friday as protests against the pro-Russia policies of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico spread from Slovakia's capital to towns and cities across the country and abroad.

Tens of thousands of people protested against the government across Slovakia Friday evening, as anger grows over nationalist Prime Minister Robert Fico's push for closer ties with Russia.

Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico addresses the media during a meeting with his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban in Bratislava, Slovakia, Tuesday, Jan. 21, 2025.