Robert Fico in agreement with moderate breakaway party and ultra-nationalists to return to office for fourth time

Slovakia’s populist former prime minister, Robert Fico, has said he has reached agreement with centre-left and nationalist parties to form a three-party coalition government that could return him to office for a fourth time.

“We have agreed that we want to form a government together,” Fico said on Wednesday of the deal, which includes Hlas, a moderate breakaway party from his own Smer-SD party, and the ultra-nationalist Slovak National party (SNS).