EGN NEWS DESK
Slovakia’s opposition events plan to name a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Robert Fico’s authorities as a consequence of his pro-Moscow leanings, they introduced in a press convention Tuesday.
“Robert Fico has left Slovakia. Instead of being in our homeland and addressing the issues that persons are going through, he’s flying world wide, kowtowing to dictators, having fun with luxurious someplace in Vietnam, insulting our neighbors and companions, and resigned from governing of our nation,” mentioned Michal Šimečka, chairman of prime opposition party Progressive Slovakia.
Fico made headlines over a shock go to to Moscow final month, the place he met with President Vladimir Putin in a ultimate try to safe low-cost Russian fuel for Slovakia after Ukraine ended a transit take care of Gazprom. That has was a private feud with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Back dwelling, Fico got here beneath hearth from the Slovak press and the opposition for spending time in a luxurious lodge in Vietnam, the place a single evening’s keep prices greater than €5,000, whereas Slovak residents face well being care and cost-of-living crises.
Fico denied the media stories and mentioned he solely used the lodge for an official assembly, which he backed up with a affirmation from the lodge.
The escalation of the opposition’s transfer to oust Fico comes a day after he signaled a potential snap election if his coalition companions — the hard-right Slovak National Party (SNS) and social-democratic Hlas (Voice) — fail to interrupt an deadlock within the nation’s parliament. The coalition has a razor-thin majority of 76 out of 150 seats, in opposition to 71 for the opposition events. Three MPs are at present impartial.
Michal Vašečka, a political scientist on the Bratislava Policy Institute, instructed POLITICO {that a} vote of no-confidence might go both method.
“It is a reality even Robert Fico himself is hesitating whether or not he is ready to win the bulk. If he hadn’t despatched the alerts, this initiative in all probability wouldn’t have occurred … It is a second of emancipation of the opposition,” mentioned Vašečka, referring to the unprecedented sight of all of the opposition events uniting behind the initiative.
Even Fico’s allies have been uneasy over his dealings with Putin, with 4 Hlas MPs distancing themselves from his journey to Moscow, saying they may go to Kyiv, and blocking some coalition proposals. Back in October, a disaster was set off by three SNS MPs who rebelled and stop their caucus over inside disputes.
