Fico is likely to survive a vote of no confidence as the coalition rebels back him

The Slovak prime minister Robert Fico is likely to survive a forthcoming vote of no confidence after rebel legislators in one ruling coalition said that they would not be supporting the motion.

The opposition parties announced on Tuesday that they would initiate a vote of no confidence against Fico’s leftist and nationalist government. They accused him of pushing the country’s foreign policy towards Russia, while doing little to solve problems at home.

Since coming to power in late 2023, the government has changed its focus on foreign policy by ceasing state military assistance to Ukraine to fight a full-scale Russian invader and reestablishing ties with Moscow. Fico even visited Moscow last month.

Fico faced opposition from four members of Hlas, one of the junior parties in the ruling coalition. Their support for the no-confidence motion - which is likely to be held next week – was seen as crucial.

Jan Ferencak said, on broadcaster TA3, that "we are part of a ruling coalition, and we have no reason to support opposition in dismissing Prime Minister".

Ferencak said that Fico's suggestion to change the country's foreign policy direction in a manner that would undermine the country’s strong roots in NATO and the EU would be a "red line."

Fico's majority in the parliament shrank to 76 seats out of 150 when three SNS deputies, the other junior party ruling, left late last year. They had supported the budget plan for the government in an important December vote.

Hlas & SNS are also locked in a dispute.

The four Hlas dissidents have criticised ministers in the past, demanded a cabinet reshuffle, and even blocked legislation at parliament.

Fico, who has served as prime minister four times, said that he would consider a shake-up of the government or an early election if his coalition partners failed to get their deputies on board.

Fico also argued with Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, this month after Kyiv halted Russian Gas shipments transiting through its territory into Slovakia.

The opposition says he has not done enough to address issues at home such as the large budget deficit, high prices, and the problems with the healthcare system. (Reporting and editing by Jan Lopatka, Jason Hovet)

(source: Reuters)