The former prime minister of Slovakia and current leader of the country's Smer party has used his bully pulpit to once again disparage independent journalists. Robert Fico, who left office in the aftermath of the scandal surrounding the murder of journalist Jan Kuciak, used a press conference on 21 March to attack the media. "I have no respect for you, I do not fear you at all," he told journalists present at the briefing. He spoke aggressively throughout and refused to answer questions that made him uncomfortable.