Slovakia’s governing Smer-SD party has urged coalition partners to end internal disputes and focus on governing, after a junior coalition party voted with the opposition on Tuesday to dismiss Environment Minister Tomas Taraba.
Taraba also served as deputy prime minister and had fallen out with leaders of the far-right Slovak National Party, another coalition member. The three-party government depends on several independent lawmakers to control 78 seats in the 150-member parliament.
Smer-SD called for partners to approve a realistic 2027 budget, saying Slovakia could not afford temporary fixes or a minority government amid geopolitical challenges, including conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. Prime Minister Robert Fico has raised the possibility of an early election, which would require a parliamentary supermajority.
The coalition is under pressure from opinion polls suggesting governing parties could lose power. Under Fico, Slovakia has diverged from some EU and NATO allies by maintaining warm relations with Russia and continuing imports of Russian oil and gas. Reuters quoted the party as saying the country needs a stable government able to make decisions, even with only a slim majority.