Fico’s Coalition Critically Weakens as More MPs Withdraw Support – for Now

As the government of Prime Minister Robert Fico faces mass demonstrations over its pro-Russian policies, the coalition crisis has reached a breaking point, with four MPs withdrawing support “for now”, leaving the government without a parliamentary majority.

More than 30 Slovak cities were swept by nationwide protests as citizens demanded Fico’s government end its pro-Russian policies and reaffirm Slovakia’s alignment with the EU and NATO. For the first time, citizens also openly called for his resignation.

However, Fico announced that he had no plans to resign, claiming that “the government can only be changed through elections.” He again admitted that early elections might be necessary if the coalition partners fail to resolve internal issues.

“This would be a technical solution to coalition problems but not necessarily the best political one,” Fico told STVR on Saturday after the protests.

Fico’s government made up of his Smer-SD party and coalition partners SNS and Hlas-SD (NI), has been in crisis since the autumn. During this period, three MPs broke away from the SNS, insisting on a ministerial seat in exchange for their support for the government, and four more MPs from Hlas-SD began to rebel openly against government policies.

Tensions escalated further on Friday when Hlas-SD surprisingly expelled two rebel MPs, Samuel Migaľ and Radomír Šalitroš, accusing them of making “extortionist demands.”

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In response, all four rebel MPs issued a statement calling on the prime minister to urgently address the situation and announced that they would abstain from voting with the government until the issues were resolved.

Fico’s coalition, which began its term with 79 MPs in the 150-seat parliament, barely above the minimum of 76, now de facto lacks a majority to govern, reaching a maximum of 75 MPs in the most optimistic scenario.

Fico expressed surprise at Hlas-SD’s decision to expel the MPs, saying that such a step would be acceptable if the coalition had 100 MPs but not in such a fragile situation.

Opposition leader Michal Šimečka of Progressive Slovakia (PS/RE) noted, “we are witnessing the collapse of Fico’s fourth government in real-time.”

“Parliament is now paralysed not because of some external dark forces operating in the background, but because of Fico’s inability to govern,” Šimečka added, signalling his party’s willingness to support early elections.

The government faces a no-confidence vote from the opposition on Tuesday, although the chances of success appear slim.

Fear-mongering amid protests

In the run-up to Friday’s demonstrations, the Fico government stoked fears by alleging plans for a “Maidan-style“ coup and warning of possible provocations or escalations.

In reality, the protests were peaceful and calm. Despite this, the government continues to push a ‘coup’ narrative, claiming that in the coming days, it plans to expel dozens of “foreign instructors”  who are allegedly behind the plans.

Fico also claimed that the protesters were being manipulated by the opposition and misled by claims that his government was planning to leave the EU, a move he insists is not under consideration.

However, two weeks after returning from Moscow, influential Smer MP Tibor Gašpar hinted at the possibility of Slovakia leaving the EU and was backed by his party colleague, Fico.

Mounting pressure

Fico is now facing growing pressure from the streets and divisions within his coalition and from a broad coalition of professionals.

Last week, more than 100 psychiatrists signed an open letter calling on him to change his behaviour or resign - a number that has now risen to 855.

In recent weeks, other professional groups have taken similar steps, expressing concern about the direction of the government, its impact on Slovakia’s democracy and the country’s standing in the EU.

These include former foreign ministers and diplomats, employers’ associations, regional governors, clergy, psychologists, scientists and academics, teachers, students, and lorry drivers.