ormer Slovak prime minister Igor Matovic and ex-interior minister Robert Kalinak scuffled on Wednesday after Matovic drove up a pick-up truck mounted with the slogan “we will not hand you over to the mafia” to Kalinak’s marketing campaign occasion.

Matovic has lengthy accused SMER-SSD and its leaders, which embody Kalinak and three-time premier Robert Fico, of being corrupt and sees them as his important rivals.

Fico's social gathering is at the moment main the opinion polls with an agenda to finish navy support to neighbouring Ukraine. Matovic's social gathering OLANO had been in energy earlier than its coalition fell aside final 12 months and a caretaker cupboard was appointed in May 2023.

On Wednesday, Matovic drove a pick-up truck to Kalinak's televised SMER-SSD news convention and, by means of mounted loudspeakers, accused him of poor immigration insurance policies when he was inside minister in Fico's cupboards.

Kalinak went to the automotive and knocked on the motive force's home windows as the previous PM's aides scrambled to disconnect the audio system in the back of the truck.

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Matovic then opened the door, and Kalinak leaned in and tried to seize the microphone from him, whereas Matovic tried to push him away and swore at him, calling him a mafioso.

Video footage confirmed Matovic kicking at Kalinak and one other SMER-SSED punching Matovic earlier than police intervened to separate the 2 sides.

Police mentioned an investigation was underway.

Several politicians condemned the chaotic scenes, saying it had no place in fashionable politics.

Progressive Slovakia chief Michal Simecka mentioned: “This is exactly what it's not supposed to look like. Targeted provocation, profanities, kicks and punches to the face. A fight between former prime minister Matovic and former interior minister Kalinak. They've dragged Slovak politics to a new low.”

Matovic needed to give up as prime minister in 2021 amid a spate of coalition infighting and coverage U-turns.