An attempt by the Slovak opposition to express a vote of no confidence in Prime Minister Robert Fico ended in vain on Tuesday. Representatives of opposition parties withdrew their proposal before the start of the vote and left the parliamentary session, TA3 TV channel reports. The reason for this decision was dissatisfaction with the closed format of the parliamentary session at which the issue was to be considered.
The chairman of the Progressive Slovakia party, Michal Šimečka, explained that the closed status of the meeting deprives the opposition of the opportunity to fully convey its position to the public.
“We cannot support methods that limit the transparency of the process and hinder open discussion of issues that are important to the country,” — said Shimechka.
According to Aktuality, the opposition intends to initiate a vote of no confidence again in the coming weeks. Opposition party leaders believe they have sufficient grounds to criticize the current government, including accusations of ineffective policies, lack of transparency and accusations of ties to Russia.
The vote of no confidence comes amid growing political tensions in Slovakia. Robert Fico, who will return as prime minister in the fall of 2024, continues to face pressure both domestically and from the international community. His speeches and actions, including a visit to Moscow last December, have drawn criticism from the opposition, which accuses him of being insufficiently committed to a pro-European course.
The ruling coalition, despite the challenges, has so far maintained control of the situation. In his statement after the vote's failure, Fico called the opposition's actions a political show and expressed confidence that his government would continue to work on implementing its program.
"We are focused on the real problems of the country, not on empty political maneuvers," - said the prime minister.