Smer-SD, Slovakia's main governing party, said preserving the parliamentary majority required substantial effort and urged its coalition partners to keep internal disputes out of policymaking. The statement followed a move on Tuesday by a smaller member of the left-nationalist coalition to support an opposition proposal to dismiss a minister.
The move raised questions about the durability of Robert Fico's government, roughly a year before elections. Parliament voted to remove Deputy Prime Minister and Environment Minister Tomáš Taraba, who had clashed with the leadership of the Slovak National Party, another coalition member.
The three-party government relied on several loyal independent lawmakers to command 78 seats in the 150-member parliament. Fico has left open the possibility of an early election, which would require a qualified parliamentary majority.
After a leadership meeting on Wednesday evening, Smer-SD called for responsible governance and a realistic 2027 budget. It said Slovakia could not afford temporary fixes or minority rule amid geopolitical challenges, including conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Fico's party said the country needs a stable government able to make decisions, even with a narrow majority. Under Fico, Slovakia has diverged from EU and NATO allies, maintained close ties with Russia and continued importing Russian oil and gas. Polls suggest the governing parties could lose power if an election were held; no date has been announced.