Fico rejects resignation amid protests, early elections still on the table
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico (Photo: Getty Images)
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has announced that he will not resign amid ongoing protests. However, he has not ruled out the possibility of holding early elections in the country, according to Bloomberg and Dennik N.
Fico's government is threatening to lose its parliamentary majority after four coalition deputies refuse to vote until their demands are met. Without their support, the ruling coalition would have only 75 votes, insufficient for a majority in the 150-member parliament.
Fico stated, "It is not 2018 now," referring to when he resigned as prime minister following mass protests. Those protests were triggered by the murder of journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée.
Speaking on state radio, Fico did not rule out early elections if the coalition loses its majority but said it would not be the best solution.
"The government can only be replaced if there are elections," the Slovak prime minister said.
Fico accuses Ukraine of organizing protests
The Slovak prime minister previously claimed that Ukraine was allegedly involved in anti-government protests in Bratislava and other cities across the country. Additionally, according to Fico, even Ukrainian citizens are allegedly participating in the protests against his government.
The protests in Slovakia began on January 24, following Fico's visit to dictator Vladimir Putin in Moscow. The purpose of his visit was to address the issue of Russian gas transit through Ukraine.
