Slovak coalition party backs minister’s dismissal, raising prospect of early election

Bratislava, Slovakia. A junior party in Slovakia’s leftist-nationalist coalition voted with the parliamentary opposition on Tuesday to dismiss Deputy Prime Minister and Environment Minister Tomas Taraba. The vote raised questions about the survival of Prime Minister Robert Fico’s government a year before a scheduled election.

Coalition vote

The motion to remove Taraba won 77 votes in the 150-seat parliament. Taraba had fallen out with the leadership of the far-right Slovak National Party (SNS), a junior coalition member that had demanded his resignation.

The three-party government has depended on several loyal independents to control 78 seats in parliament.

Government options

Fico said he would convene the leadership of his Smer-Slovak Social Democracy (Smer-SSD) party on Wednesday to discuss next steps. He raised the possibility of an early election in January, which would require a parliamentary supermajority.

Fico may seek to re-form a governing coalition with his current partners. A government collapse would not automatically lead to an election, as the constitution presumes that another cabinet would be formed.

Under Fico, Slovakia has diverged from European Union and Nato allies by maintaining warm relations with Russia and continuing to import Russian oil and gas. Opinion polls indicate the ruling parties could lose power in an election.