Europe’s political landscape shifted dramatically on October 17, 2025, as the Party of European Socialists (PES), the continent’s leading center-left bloc, unanimously voted to expel Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s Smer party. The decision, finalized at the PES congress in Amsterdam, marked the end of a two-decade-long and often uneasy relationship between Smer and Europe’s progressive family, and sent ripples through both Slovak and European politics.
The expulsion capped years of mounting tension. According to PES Secretary General Giacomo Filibeck, the move was prompted by Smer’s political positions in recent years that "deeply and severely contradict the values our [PES] family stands for." Speaking after the vote, Filibeck was unequivocal: "This is a clear and unanimous message: if you belong to the PES family, you share our values." As reported by the Associated Press, the group did not enumerate every reason for the ejection, but the message was unmistakable—Smer’s direction had become incompatible with the principles of European social democracy.
Fico, a polarizing figure at home and abroad, met the decision with characteristic defiance. In a social media post, he declared, "If the reason for ending SMER – Slovak Social Democracy’s membership in the Party of European Socialists is my participation in the celebrations of the victory over fascism and the constitutional definition of man and woman, then I am proud of this expulsion!" He elaborated: "If they want to punish us because we have defined marriage as a unique union between a man and a woman, that we said there are only two sexes and that we said that in these issues our law takes precedence over European law, if that’s why we have to be expelled, then it’s an honor for us."
For Fico and his allies, the expulsion is less a disgrace than a badge of honor. Juraj Gedra, head of the Slovak government office, told Euractiv Slovakia, "It’s our victory and their shame." Smer’s supporters have framed the move as evidence of their independence from what they see as an increasingly dogmatic European left. Smer MEP Ľuboš Blaha even celebrated the occasion on Facebook, writing, "We have just been expelled from the Party of European Socialists. Let’s celebrate. I greet you with a revolutionary toast, friends – SALUT."
But for European socialists, Fico’s trajectory has been a source of mounting frustration. As Brussels Signal and Politico Europe detail, Smer’s recent record includes attacks on journalists and judges, anti-LGBT+ rhetoric, and the adoption of policies that limit freedom of expression and target minority groups such as Roma and LGBTQ+ communities. The party’s imposition of new transparency rules for NGOs, modeled after laws in Russia and Georgia, and its alignment with nationalist, culturally conservative stances, have set it apart from the mainstream European left.
Fico’s foreign policy has only deepened the rift. In May 2025, he was the sole EU leader to travel to Moscow for the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II—an event EU leaders had called to boycott due to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. Earlier in the year, Fico also attended victory celebrations in Beijing, meeting both Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. His repeated visits to the Kremlin—three in the past year, according to Withub—further underscored his ideological closeness to Moscow. Smer has openly challenged EU policies on Ukraine, with Fico branding NATO aid to Kyiv as "prolonging slaughter" and echoing Moscow’s narratives on the Donbas region.
Slovakia’s current stance on EU sanctions against Russia has also drawn ire from Brussels. The country, under Fico’s leadership, is blocking the latest package of EU sanctions, a move that has aligned Slovakia more closely with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán than with its socialist peers. On several occasions, Fico and Orbán have worked in tandem to obstruct EU decision-making, extracting exemptions and advantages for their respective countries.
The political realignment began in earnest after Smer’s 2023 election victory, when the party won 23 percent of the vote and formed a coalition government with Peter Pellegrini’s Hlas-SD and the right-wing Slovak National Party (SNS). This prompted an immediate suspension from the PES, as well as from the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group in the European Parliament. Smer’s three MEPs—Monika Beňová, Ľuboš Blaha, and Miroslav Číž—became non-attached members, a status that will now continue indefinitely. As Withub notes, Smer’s five MEPs have been non-attached since 2023 and will remain on the parliamentary margins.
For the PES, the expulsion was not just about ideology, but about upholding core European values. In a statement, the party reiterated its commitment to "equal rights, the rule of law, and a strong social Europe," principles they say Smer has renounced. Stefan Löfven, PES President and former Swedish prime minister, framed the issue in terms of international law and European solidarity, stating, "No state, no leader, is above international law. When international law is breached, it must be named, condemned and confronted. We cannot stay silent; international law must be our guide."
Political analysts see the move as both inevitable and clarifying. Radovan Geist of Euractiv Slovakia observed, "Playing the social democrat was never really Robert Fico’s strong suit. Perhaps it’s time, at this late stage of his career, for him to make a political coming out—and finally embrace the nationalist populist he’s always been." Smer, Geist argues, has become a nationalist, culturally conservative party with an increasingly illiberal and anti-European outlook, a far cry from the core values of the European center-left.
Looking ahead, Fico has signaled no intention of rejoining the European Socialists, declaring in July 2024 that his party would chart its own sovereign course on issues ranging from Ukraine to migration. While Smer eyes alliances with non-aligned groups in the European Parliament, it has ruled out cooperation with right-wing blocs like Patriots for Europe. Meanwhile, the expulsion leaves figures like EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, a Smer affiliate, in an awkward position as questions mount about his party’s pariah status in Brussels.
The expulsion of Smer from the Party of European Socialists is more than an internal squabble; it’s a sign of the shifting tides in European politics. As the continent grapples with rising nationalism, the war in Ukraine, and debates over the very meaning of European values, the story of Robert Fico and his party’s dramatic ouster from the socialist family offers a telling snapshot of the challenges—and divisions—facing the European project today.
