Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico left Brussels before the conclusion of the European Council summit to travel to Serbia and attend a rally organised by the ruling Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in Novi Sad, where he plans to express support for former Serbian president Aleksandar Vučić ahead of the country’s snap parliamentary elections on October 25.
“I am travelling to Belgrade on Friday evening, and from Belgrade to Novi Sad, where I want to show my support for an outstanding Serbian statesman because he pursues a sovereign policy that serves as an example to me — Mr Aleksandar Vučić,” Fico told Slovakia’s TASR news agency.
Fico had promised on October 3 to attend the rally in person to support Vučić. However, he cancelled that planned trip at the time, reportedly due to a viral infection.
His decision to travel to Serbia now means he will miss discussions on several key issues on the European Council’s agenda, TASR reported, including migration, EU defence and security, and developments in the Middle East.
The absence is also expected to affect coordination among the leaders of the Visegrád Group — Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland — who use European Council meetings to discuss and coordinate their positions.
Fico’s visit comes ahead of Serbia’s October 25 parliamentary elections, as Vučić and the SNS seek support for their political agenda.
