Slovakia’s ruling coalition has ousted Michal Simecka, leader of the largest opposition party Progressive Slovakia, from his post as deputy speaker of parliament, sparking accusations of a politically motivated vendetta against a key critic of Prime Minister Robert Fico, Bloomberg reports.
The coalition justified the move by accusing Simecka of allowing his family members to receive government subsidies while he was in a position to influence government decisions. They also accused him of polarizing Slovak society through organizing anti-government protests.
Simecka vehemently denies these accusations, calling them fabricated and aimed at weakening the opposition. He accused the government of “playing political games” and prioritizing “personal vendettas” in his speech at the beginning of the parliamentary session.
The ruling party cited the assassination attempt against Fico in May as a reason for removing Simecka, claiming that “stirring up hatred against specific individuals” can lead to violence. Fico has previously blamed the opposition for radicalizing his attacker, who was critical of the government.
This dismissal breaks a longstanding parliamentary tradition in Slovakia, where opposition parties are traditionally granted one deputy speaker seat without interference from the ruling majority.
The controversy adds to Slovakia’s growing tensions with the European Union. The country is currently facing scrutiny from the European Commission over potential violations of the rule of law after the government dismantled a key anti-corruption prosecutor’s office. The Commission is considering initiating proceedings against Slovakia, which could lead to a suspension of European funding.
Furthermore, Slovakia is facing potential infringement proceedings over its overhaul of public media, which has been criticized for tightening government control over public television and radio, potentially clashing with European laws.
The government’s decision to halt military support for Ukraine has also complicated its position in the EU.
