Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has issued a stark warning to his coalition partners, setting a March deadline to resolve the ongoing parliamentary deadlock, or face the possibility of snap elections.
Speaking on a political talk show on Slovak network TA3, Fico expressed frustration with the impasse, saying, “I told them … deal with it, or we are going to hell.”
Fico pointed the finger at the Slovak National Party (SNS) and the Hlas (Voice) party, accusing them of failing to ensure the smooth functioning of parliament. “If the Slovak National Party (SNS) and Hlas don’t secure the functioning of the parliament … the only solution for this country will be snap parliamentary elections,” he added. He further questioned, “Why should I, as the leader of a stable coalition party, pay the price for the coalition’s inability to enforce laws in parliament?”
In response to the crisis, Fico suggested an alternative to early elections—reshuffling the number of MPs according to the coalition agreement. However, neither SNS nor Hlas are supportive of this option.
The current coalition crisis began in October when three SNS MPs rebelled, leaving the caucus over internal disputes and demanding changes before they would support the government. This split has left Fico’s government with a slim majority of 76 seats in the 150-seat parliament, making it increasingly difficult to pass laws. Fico had already acknowledged in November that snap elections could become inevitable if the deadlock continues.
