The Slovak government is set to face a parliamentary confidence vote on Thursday, triggered by the country's debt surpassing fiscal limits set by the Constitution. The motion was initiated after the Constitutional Court, Slovakia's highest judicial authority, ruled on Wednesday that the government must hold such a vote without delay.
Prime Minister Fico's Response
Populist Prime Minister Robert Fico stated that he respects the court's ruling and has called for the vote. His coalition government holds a majority of 78 seats in the 150-seat National Council, making it likely to win the confidence motion. Coalition lawmakers have limited the debate to 12.5 hours.
Background of the Vote
Fico noted that the government originally planned to link this confidence vote to another vote on next year's state budget, scheduled for later this year. The opposition filed a complaint with the Constitutional Court in November after Eurostat, the European Union's statistics body, reported that Slovak debt had reached 59.7% of gross national product the previous month. Since then, the debt has risen to 61.4%, according to the Slovak Statistics Office.
Economic Context
Despite the increase, Slovakia's debt remains below the European Union average. Like many European countries, Slovakia increased state spending to counteract the economic shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia's war against Ukraine, which caused energy prices to spike. The Slovak Supreme Audit Office reported on Tuesday that the Slovak economy grew only 0.8% in 2025, the slowest rate in three years, while government spending grew faster, contributing to the rising debt.
Constitutional Threshold
The threshold to trigger a confidence vote in Slovakia is 50% debt-to-GDP ratio. Fico has been a divisive figure since returning to power in 2023, with his pro-Russian stance and other policies prompting numerous protests.
