Sept 29 (Reuters) – A junior party in Slovakia’s leftist-nationalist coalition voted with the parliamentary opposition to dismiss a minister on Tuesday, raising the possibility that pro-Russian Prime Minister Robert Fico’s government could collapse and an early election be held.
• The move raised questions about the government’s survival a year before a scheduled election, and Fico said he would gather his Smer-Slovak Social Democracy (Smer-SSD) party’s leadership to discuss next steps on Wednesday.
• Fico raised the possibility of an early election and said it could take place in January, but that would require supermajority approval by parliament.
• The parliament voted to dismiss Deputy Prime Minister and Environment Minister Tomas Taraba, who has fallen out with the leadership of his far-right Slovak National Party (SNS), which is a junior member of the coalition and had demanded his resignation.
• The three-party government has been dependent on several loyal independents to control 78 seats in the 150-strong parliament. The motion to remove Taraba won 77 votes.
• Fico may try to reform a governing coalition with current partners.
• A government collapse would not automatically trigger an election, as the constitution presumes forming another cabinet.
• Slovakia under Fico has diverged from European Union and NATO allies by keeping warm relations with Russia and continuing to import Russian oil and gas.
• Opinion polls show the ruling parties may lose power in an election.
(Reporting by Jan Lopatka in Prague; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
