Thousands of Slovaks joined a rally on Tuesday to protest against corruption and demand the resignation of the interior minister, a close ally of Prime Minister Robert Fico, over his ties with a developer under investigation for tax fraud.
Slovakia’s economy has boomed and living standards have risen sharply since it joined the European Union in 2004, but many Slovaks say their country lags western Europe in the fight against corruption.
Other countries in the region including Romania and Hungary have also seen large anti-government protests in recent months.
Tuesday’s demonstration in Bratislava, one of the largest since Fico took power in 2012, largely targeted Interior Minister Robert Kalinak, who has resisted pressure to step down over his business relations with real estate developer Ladislav Basternak, who is being investigated over possible tax fraud.