Slovak Prime Minister Fico faces confidence vote amid EU exit accusations

Prime Minister Robert Fico is facing a confidence vote in the Slovak parliament on Tuesday, following accusations from the opposition that he is attempting to take Slovakia out of the European Union.

Fico has a slim majority in parliament, and his ministers are expected to back him as well as ministers from other parties. The leader would need 76 votes to lose the confidence motion.

During a debate before the vote, the leader of the Progressive Slovakia party, Michal Šimečka, criticised Fico’s visit to Moscow in December and accused the ruling leftist populist Smer party of trying to take Slovakia out of the European Union.

“I see this as such an existential threat to our national interests that we do not need anything else to declare no-confidence,” Šimečka said.

Fico recently commented that Slovakia should prepare for “all possible crisis scenarios” the EU could face in the short term, including the breakup of the 27-member bloc.

“The largest government party admits Slovakia’s withdrawal from the EU as its possible political goal and solution,” Šimečka said.

Fears of European superstate?

Fico has been critical of NATO and the European Union, suggesting that Brussels should extend its majority voting system to cover more areas and limit the power of national vetoes.

“What if a group of three-four large countries comes and says, ladies and gentlemen, either there will be a superstate where you lose all your national sovereignty … or go your own way?” Fico said. “We are speaking of a development that can happen very fast.”

Fico has also ramped up anti-Ukrainian rhetoric in recent months, following a gas dispute after the war-torn country refused to renew a contract with Moscow that allowed gas to flow through Ukraine to neighbouring European countries.

The prime minister has threatened to limit electricity supplies and aid for Ukrainian refugees and implied he would be prepared to block action towards helping Ukraine at the EU level.

Fico took the rare step for a European leader of visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin shortly before Christmas, in what he said was a reaction to Ukraine’s move to halt Russian gas supplies.

He returned to power last year after his Smer party won a parliamentary election on a populist platform, including ceasing all aid to Ukraine as it continues to defend itself from Russia’s all-out invasion, now well into its third year.

During his tenure, he has vowed to block Kyiv from joining NATO and slammed EU sanctions on Russia.