International protest as Fascist regional governor takes office in Slovakia

Marian Kotleba, the leader of right-wing extremists in Slovakia, took office today as the head of the Banská Bystrica Region. Kotleba officially became Regional Governor (Administrator) by taking the oath of office at the first session of the Regional Council following November’s elections.

Kotleba is notorious for his anti-Romani statements and for organizing anti-Romani assemblies. The 36-year-old leader of the People’s Party – Our Slovakia (Lidová strana – Naše Slovensko or LSNS), which is not seated in the national parliament, also makes no secret of his sympathies for the wartime Slovak state, which was influenced by Nazi Germany.

Candles against Kotleba

Youth in Czech and Slovak cities working under the auspices of the "Blokujeme!" ("Let’s Block the Neo-Nazis") platform in Slovakia organized a symbolic uprising against Kotleba. On the eve of his inauguration, they lit candles in cities all over the Czech Republic and Slovakia. 

In addition to the cities of Brno and Prague, the Czech towns of Olomouc, Ostrava and Ústí nad Labem and the Slovak towns of Banská Bystrica, Banská Štiavnica, Košice and Žilina joined the protest. The symbolic uprising was also slated to take place in the Slovak capital Bratislava today. 

Candles against ethnic and racial intolerance were lit on squares and streets named after the WWII-era Slovak National Uprising against the Nazis. The protesters’ aim is to light at least 71 397 candles, the same as the number of votes Kotleba received in the November elections. 

Miriam Kanioková, an initiator of the event with the Czech "Blokujeme!" platform, said activists are concerned that a Fascist sympathizer has won an election in the neighboring state and care about Slovakia’s fate. The event was also supported by longtime human rights activist Fedor Gál.   

"The fact that the gubernatorial election was won by a National Socialist is unbelievable to me," Gál said. "It’s not unbelievable that such people exist, but it is unbelievable that he won a democratic election."