In July 2012 Fico declared "Eternal Peace" between him and the Slovak press. He also stated his desire to change his attitude towards the media, saying "I think it is enough" and that he does not plan any further lawsuits against media outlets except in extraordinary situations. Fico further said: "You have to spend an incredible amount of energy on it it means several years of conflict, one conflict takes usually five or six years [to resolve," adding that lawsuits involve "legal fees, paying a lawyer, everything around that." In November 2016, he termed journalists questioning him about allegations of public procurement rules during Slovakia's EU presidency, as "dirty, anti-Slovak prostitutes." He also accused the accusations of being a targeted attack to smear the country's presidency of EU. After Fico stepped down from his post as prime minister early 2018, following the protests across the country, he renewed his hatred of the media, stating that he was planning on pursuing legal action against a number of notable journalists who slighted him during his time in power.