Resignation of deputy prime minister sparks dispute among governing parties
by
Dr. Marco Arndt, Michal Petrík
Further tensions within Fico's coalition government are to be expected. Meanwhile, the government is taking action against the anti-corruption authority.
Slovak Deputy PM Peter Kmec (Hlas-SD) resigned amid a scandal over about €200m in EU R&D funds, after media linked selected projects to a party donor and a presidential adviser. The case deepens rifts in Fico’s Smer–Hlas–SNS coalition, as Hlas demands equal standards for Smer ministers and hints at a crisis. At the same time, Fico’s plan to replace the independent whistleblower office raises fresh rule-of-law concerns. It is expected that both developments will have significant impact on political situation in Slovakia during the last parliamentary session at the end of the year.
