Did PM Fico slip away to Croatia? Fico faces scrutiny over his trip
Despite denying a recent Croatian retreat, a newly-surfaced photo suggests Robert Fico flew to the Adriatic coast.
Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer) last week denied claims by the non-parliamentary Demokrati party that he spent several days in Croatia in October.
“Someone has clearly made a fool of you,” Fico retorted in response to Demokrati’s allegation.
However, a photo posted on social media by Demokrati a few days ago appears to suggest otherwise. On November 6, the premier confirmed his trip to Croatia.
The prime minister, who survived a shooting in May while addressing supporters in Handlová, reportedly travelled to the Split area on Croatia’s Adriatic coast with his girlfriend, Katarína Szalayová, at the end of October. Fico claims that he went on the trip in early October.
The published photograph, taken near the Madona bar in Primošten—some 60 kilometres from Split—shows Fico without his usual security detail. Paradoxically, Fico and his coalition partners often reference the shooting incident for political gain, claiming that the incident could occur again.
Joining him on the trip were Smer MP Anton Stredák, who owns a villa in Rogoznica, and a real estate businesswoman whom Demokrati describe as “controversial”, according to the non-parliamentary party. Demokrati also released a document purportedly listing the passengers on Fico’s flight.
According to a flight-tracking service, Fico travelled by private jet from Bratislava to Split, returning to Bratislava via Prague after a few days, purportedly to purchase a seaside property. It remains unclear who paid for the alleged flight to Split with Fico aboard. The prime minister has also yet to explain the source of funds for his upscale flat in central Bratislava.
Reports link several figures associated with Smer to properties along Croatia’s Dalmatian coast, writes the daily Sme.
Photos published by the tabloid daily Nový Čas show the prime minister and his girlfriend also holidaying in Rogoznica over the summer.