Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has consolidated power through a new agreement with his coalition partners after his parliamentary majority was threatened by internal defections.
On Wednesday, Slovakia’s three ruling coalition parties announced a ministerial reshuffle that will give the Smer party gain control of additional ministries. Under the deal, the coalition’s junior partners—the left-wing populist Hlas party and the nationalist Slovak National Party (SNS)—will each cede one ministry to Smer. This adjustment will leave Smer with nine ministries, Hlas with six, and SNS with two.
“Smer will use this political influence to stabilize the ruling coalition and regain its parliamentary majority,” Fico stated in a Facebook post. His government has been under pressure following both internal discord within the coalition and repeated opposition attempts to initiate a no-confidence vote.
The coalition lost its 79-seat majority after three SNS lawmakers defected, demanding government positions in exchange for their return. Meanwhile, four Hlas MPs openly rebelled against the government, leading to the expulsion of two from their party.
Fico argued that gaining control of additional ministries would strengthen his ability to negotiate with dissenting lawmakers, though he did not specify how. His leadership was also tested in January when opposition parties attempted to hold a no-confidence vote. The effort collapsed after opposition members walked out mid-session in protest of Fico’s demand to make half of the proceedings private.
