Robert Fico

Prime Minister — Slovakia

Country momentum 0 — Quarterly momentum: the Bureau's read on the country's trajectory over the last quarter, from −10 (deteriorating fast) to +10 (accelerating).

• Survived an assassination attempt in 2024 and kept the coalition alive — endurance as achievement. Policy wins are thinner: growth forecasts were cut to 0.9% for 2026.
• GDP grew just 0.8% year-on-year in Q2 2026; forecasts were cut to 0.9% (FXStreet, September 2026) and 0.7% (OECD). The auto-heavy economy is exposed to tariffs and the EV transition.
• Plays the EU's institutions for domestic advantage while flirting with Moscow's narratives. Sovereignty as theatre, not strategy.
• High-income eurozone economy, but growth has stalled and debt is 62.6% of GDP. The car-industry model needs reinventing.