Fico Expresses Support for Vucic, Says Streets Mustn't Change Election Results

Bratislava, March 21 (TASR) - Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) on Friday had a phone call with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and expressed his full support for him as "the legitimate representative of Serbia - a sovereign, peaceful and proud country", TASR learn on Friday. In a social media post, the Slovak premier said that in a democratic country, the streets mustn't be allowed to change the results of free elections. "I've confirmed that I'll respect any decision his country chooses to take in a complex and unpredictable international situation. In Slovakia, as in Serbia, there's an attempt to use the streets to overturn the results of democratic free elections," wrote the Slovak prime minister. According to Fico, protests in Slovakia are regularly organised by "strange figures, often linked to Maidan" in Ukraine or the protests in Georgia. The prime minister claimed that every week reasons are invented in order to organise anti-government protests. "The only answer to attempts to bring down the legitimate Slovak government through abuse of the public and spreading lies is to stand firm on the principles of democracy and the results of free elections," wrote Fico. Meanwhile, the Serbian president also reported about the phone call on a social network and, according to Tanjug news agency, he described the discussion with Fico as friendly and open. According to Vucic, Fico supports Serbia's policy and the struggle of its legitimate government for peace and stability in the country and against those who threaten it thanks to external support. Vucic said that he and Fico also discussed current geopolitical and regional developments, the security situation, Serbia's path to the European Union and the further strengthening of bilateral relations. "The relations between our countries are based on mutual trust and cooperation, and I reiterated my gratitude to Slovakia for its principled stance in support of our territorial integrity and sovereignty, as well as for its assistance in the process of Serbia's integration into the EU," wrote Vucic. Serbia is currently being shaken by student-led anti-government protests, organised in response to the collapse of a concrete superstructure over the entrance to the railway station in the city of Novi Sad. The tragedy occurred on November 1, 2024 and cost the lives of 15 people, mostly students. A section of the Serbian public has linked this tragedy to corruption, which it says affects everyday life in Serbia, the work of government institutions and the implementation of construction projects. Under pressure from the protests, a number of Serbian officials, including Prime Minister Milos Vucevic, have resigned. In order to resolve the crisis in Serbia, the majority of the opposition parties in the Serbian parliament on Thursday (March 20) proposed the formation of a transitional government to prepare an election considered to be fair by all parties. am/df