(Bloomberg) -- Slovakia’s ruling coalition now controls only a razor thin majority in parliament, a development that may complicate governance for Prime Minister Robert Fico over the rest of his term.
Voting in parliament on Tuesday showed his coalition has the support of only 76 out of 150 lawmakers after it lost the backing of three deputies. That trio had made their continued cooperation conditional on being represented in the government and adopting proposals to change the planned 2025 budget.
Fico failed to reach an agreement with the three legislators, adding he won’t tolerate political blackmail. Earlier this month he said for the first time he may not be able to stay in power through 2027.
If the situation in parliament remains unchanged, the prime minister may decide to reshuffle the government or even resort to a snap election to recalibrate power. The popularity of the ruling parties has started to decline slightly in recent polls and may drop further next year when a consolidation package kicks in.
“Fico may not want to govern in these difficult times for the next three years,” said Radoslav Stefancik, a political analyst at the University of Economics in Bratislava, the Slovak capital. “While his popularity is still somewhat intact, he might see early elections as an opportunity to secure another four years in power.”
Still, the administration can rule with a thin support in parliament as no party has signaled it wants to exit the coalition. Future work may be tested in December when lawmakers are expected to vote on next year’s budget.
“I hope we can hold out until 2027,” Fico told his party congress earlier this month. “But let’s also be realistic and prepare for other possible political developments in Slovakia other than regular parliamentary elections.”
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