Slovak PM Fico may skip Moscow parade over health concerns
Photo: Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Russian President Vladimir Putin (Getty Images)
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who had promised to attend the May 9 parade in Moscow, recently canceled his participation in public events. The reasons remain unclear, but changes to the Prime Minister's schedule may be linked to his health, according to Slovak media outlets tvnoviny.sk and Dennik N.
According to Slovak journalists, Fico abruptly and without explanation canceled his plans in recent days. He skipped official Labor Day events and postponed a scheduled lecture for students at Oxford University in the United Kingdom.
"The work program of the Prime Minister of the Slovak Republic, Robert Fico, for May 1st has been canceled," the Slovak government’s press office said on Wednesday, without providing further details.
On Friday, Fico posted a short Labor Day video message on social media but did not explain why he changed his plans. Even his fellow party members were unable to clarify the Prime Minister's decision to Slovak media.
While there has been no official explanation, Dennik N journalists suggest the schedule changes could be tied to Fico's health. Last year, he survived an assassination attempt in which he sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
His trip to the Moscow parade is now also in question. However, journalists do not believe the Slovak Prime Minister, who maintains friendly ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, is covertly trying to cancel the visit.
Update: Fico’s party says the trip to Moscow will go ahead
Ján Richter, a Member of Parliament from the Prime Minister’s party, told Dennik N that Fico is in good physical and mental health. He did not explain why the May 1 schedule was canceled, but confirmed that Fico’s trip to Moscow on May 9 will take place.
Meanwhile, another Putin ally — Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić — fell ill unexpectedly the day before. Due to his illness, Vučić urgently returned from the United States to Belgrade and was hospitalized. The Serbian President had also planned to attend the Moscow parade. While his visit has not been officially canceled, it is now uncertain.
At the same time, India's Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has officially canceled his trip to the parade. He became the first high-level foreign guest to reject the May 9 invitation. According to officials, Singh does not want to leave India during a period of heightened tensions with Pakistan.
