Europe is facing not only Orbán’s autocratic turn but also that of his ‘apprentice’: Slovakia’s prime minister, Fico, has taken an advanced course in attacking his country’s judiciary, media and cultural institutions. His first goal: to get away with it, say beleaguered intellectuals, theatre directors, political scientists and investigative journalists from Bratislava.
Francesca De Benedetti
is senior editor at the Italian daily newspaper Domani, specializing in European affairs and international media partnerships. She writes columns for Jacobin and Vanity Fair, and is an Institute for Human Sciences (IWM) fellow (Sept-Nov 2024).