In Slovakia, our grassroots movement helped oust a neo-Nazi. We can do it again

The Guardian

11-04-2025

Having grown up in Banská Bystrica in totalitarian Czechoslovakia, I vividly remember standing in the city's historic square a few days after 17 November 1989, the start of the Velvet Revolution, holding candles in solidarity with the students protesting in Prague. Never would I have imagined that 35 years later, I would be speaking at a rally in the same square, this time urging the preservation of democracy.
Back then, when I was a young social anthropology academic at our local university, activism was far from my mind. But everything changed for me in 2013 when Marian Kotleba, leader of the neo-Nazi People's Party Our Slovakia, was elected as regional governor. The shock was enormous. No one I knew had believed that such an outcome was possible, yet it happened. Realising the dangers this posed, many like-minded individuals knew we couldn't stand by idly.
On the night after the election, a group of us gathered on the steps of the Museum of the Slovak National Uprising, a site symbolising resistance against Nazi Germany and its Slovak puppet state. Echoing the past, we lit candles, shed tears, sang songs and embraced. That moment marked the beginning of our discussion of how to promote democratic values actively. Our goal was not to oppose a democratically elected candidate but to cultivate democratic awareness throughout the region and Slovakia. Not to talk but to do.
From this small gathering emerged an informal grassroots movement that played a crucial role in mobilising civil society against Kotleba and his extremist party. A few hundred volunteers, with no prior activism experience, were driven by the passion to defend our freedoms and ensure Slovakia never returned to its history of Nazi or communist tyranny.
The struggle was long and often discouraging. In 2016, Kotleba's party gained seats in the national parliament, emboldening his supporters. Yet in 2017, after four years of relentless effort, we succeeded in helping to oust Kotleba as regional governor. Our movement, Not in Our Town (Niot), exposed his extremist ideology through public discussions, educational programmes, protests and cultural events. We worked with journalists, academics and activists to distribute fact-based flyers detailing his mismanagement of the economy, his racist statements and harmful policies. We organised screenings of films like A Hole in the Head (about the Roma Holocaust) and The White World According to Daliborek (a documentary about contemporary neo-Nazis). We also engaged schools and local organisations to educate young people about democracy, tolerance and Slovakia's history of extremism. Our Schools for Democracy programme, a joint initiative of Niot and the Centre for Community Organising, used a method called living libraries, where individuals from various minority groups shared their life stories in classrooms.

A critical strategy was increasing voter participation, since Kotleba's 2013 victory resulted largely from low turnout and apathy: in the run-off that elected him, only 25% turned up to vote. Through social media campaigns, door-to-door outreach and public events, Niot encouraged citizens to vote in the 2017 elections. Our campaign Spolu je nás viac (Together We Are Stronger) directly engaged voters, explaining how abstention enabled extremism. For example, we showed how Kotleba rejected millions of euros in EU funds that could have improved schools and hospitals.
Most impactful, however, was talking to people face to face. This way we were able to explain Kotleba's failures as a governor: blocking EU funds, neglecting economic growth and implementing discriminatory practices targeting the Roma, Jews and migrants. None of these had put money in people's pockets – in fact, Kotleba's governorship had made life worse for many ordinary voters. Under his leadership, the Banská Bystrica region had the lowest investment levels in Slovakia and rising unemployment.
Recognising that fragmented opposition had weakened past election efforts, Niot facilitated dialogue among democratic and moderate groups to unite behind a single democratic candidate. Ján Lunter, a respected businessman and credible alternative to Kotleba, emerged as the strongest challenger.
Our efforts paid off. In the 2017 regional elections, Lunter won nearly 49%, while Kotleba suffered a crushing defeat with only 23%. It was a decisive moment, proving the power of grassroots activism. We were happy, but we knew this was only one battle in a longer struggle.
Then, in October 2023, Robert Fico became Slovakia's prime minister for the fourth time, adopting an increasingly anti-EU and pro-Russia stance. His government introduced legal changes widely seen as attempts to shield party affiliates from corruption investigations. Civil society mobilised once again.
On 22 December 2024, Fico visited Vladimir Putin in Moscow – without any public explanation. The next day, just before Christmas, Niot organised the first protest against Fico's visit to Moscow and his foreign policy. Despite the holiday season, hundreds gathered in Banská Bystrica.
Since then, Niot has held weekly protests and marches each Friday, featuring speeches by activists, artists and academics. We coordinate closely with movements – such as Peace for Ukraine – in other cities, maintaining a peaceful, non-violent and pro-democratic stance. Police cooperation has been excellent.
Our key message since December 2024 is simple: 'Slovakia is Europe. We are Europe'. Living less than 220 miles (350km) from Ukraine's border, the prospect of Slovakia aligning with Russia is alarming. Our protests have grown, now attracting 5,000 to 10,000 weekly participants in Banská Bystrica, a town of 75,000. On 7 February 2025, more than 100,000 people took part in protests in more than 40 Slovak cities as well as in cities abroad such as Prague, Brno, London, Luxembourg, Paris, Stockholm, Copenhagen and New York.
Despite threats, we refuse to be silenced. In January 2025, a Telegram channel published the home addresses of several Niot activists, leading to increased police monitoring of local activists. Nevertheless, Niot continues to organise protests and public discussions across Slovakia to foster dialogue and engagement among diverse communities.
Our organisation remains an informal grassroots platform, without a legal status. Decisions are made collectively, and our mailing list includes only about 150 citizens. The initiative's strength is in its diversity and authenticity. And in lots of off-line, face-to-face discussions that contribute to building mutual trust. We simply follow our right to gather, express our views and act on facts.
Slovakia is one of Europe's most beautiful yet often overlooked countries. Though small in size, the Niot movement is determined to defend democracy here. It is not extremism but indifference that is the real enemy of freedom.
Since the Velvet Revolution and our accession to the EU in 2004, Slovakia has flourished despite the challenges of populism. History has taught us painful lessons: we were invaded by the Nazis in 1939, fell into communist totalitarianism in 1948 and suffered Soviet occupation in 1968. Not in Our Town says, 'Never again. We will not be silent.'
Professor Alexandra Bitušíková is a social anthropologist at Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica, Slovakia