Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico expressed hope at the Smer-SD party congress that his government would serve its full term, also saying it was important to prepare for “other alternatives of political development,” according to Euractiv.
I wish we would hold out until 2027. At the same time, let us be realistic and prepare for other alternatives of political development.
Fico reminded his coalition partners from the Hlas-SD and SNS parties that they currently held only a slight majority.
Smer is and intends to be a stabilising element in this government coalition.
Fico’s fourth government, which came to power in October 2023, has a majority of 79 seats, whereas the minimum number for a majority in the 150-seat Slovak parliament is 76. Last month, three MPs led by Rudolf Huliak split from the SNS parliamentary group as a result of political disputes following Huliak’s verbal attack on opposition MP Lucia Plaváková.
Although the MPs initially said they would continue to support Fico’s government unconditionally, they later demanded a ministerial portfolio from the SNS. However, Fico told the congress on Sunday that he did not accept the preservation of the ruling coalition “by respecting political blackmail,” calling their demands “unrealistic.”
After Peter Pellegrini’s victory in the presidential election, his resignation as speaker of parliament put his former party Hlas in a complicated position, as the SNS wanted the seat for itself. However, the coalition agreement stated that it belonged to Hlas.
In September, the split between the two parties became considerably acute. Both parties held several press conferences and used social media to publicly express their discontent. Meanwhile, Fico avoided public comment throughout the dispute.
