Slovak PM Fico Withdraws Proposal to Dismiss Minister Taraba

On September 28, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico informed President Peter Pellegrini that he was pulling back the request to remove Environment Minister Tomáš Taraba from office, a move he had put forward on September 15 after coalition partner SNS pushed for it.³²⁴

Withdrawal and presidential response

The Prime Minister's Office said Fico approached the president seeking the time and political space needed to resolve the dispute, stating that the situation created by SNS demands poses a serious risk to the parliamentary majority and the government's functioning.³⁴²

President Pellegrini agreed to Fico's request the following day. Fico had earlier confirmed he would meet Pellegrini to formally request the withdrawal.²

Taraba's response

Taraba, who held a press conference in Kysuce, said he welcomed the withdrawal and maintained there was no substantive fault or valid reason for his dismissal. He said he would not become a problem for the coalition and expressed readiness to keep cooperating on legislation.⁴⁶⁵²

SNS ultimatum

SNS, which has pushed for months to have Taraba removed, pushed back on suggestions that it bears responsibility for the coalition's present strain. The party gave Taraba an ultimatum to resign by September 30, warning it would otherwise attempt to remove him through a parliamentary vote.⁴⁵²

According to Startitup.sk, SNS said there had been no substantive discussion with Taraba about important ministry matters, while Taraba said he is the only minister in Slovak history facing dismissal for doing his job. SNS's proposed replacement is Filip Kuffa, currently a state secretary at the environment ministry, according to BUMM.sk.⁶⁵

Election threat and opposition manoeuvre

Fico warned that should Danko and Taraba be unable to offer assurances and instead topple the government, snap elections would result, and he insisted the blame for that would not fall on him. He said, "If Mr. Danko and Mr. Taraba want to part ways, I demand they put an end to this circus."²

Opposition Progressive Slovakia leader Michal Šimečka confirmed his party submitted a motion to move a dismissal vote to immediate parliamentary deliberation, saying 33 votes back holding early elections as soon as possible. STVR reported that cutting the parliamentary term short would require a constitutional majority of 90 lawmakers.²⁶

Analyst commentary

Political analyst Eduard Chmelár, writing for Pravda, said early elections cannot be ruled out but are not the most likely scenario, and suggested Fico hardened his stance because he no longer wants his government dependent on individual rebellious MPs, including Taraba. Chmelár said, "Nemyslím si, že robí len bububu. Hrá vabank."¹

Chmelár argued the coalition is based on mutual dependence among its members and said, "On nie je samostatná jednotka," adding that if partners fail to agree, the only remaining extreme options are early elections or a caretaker government. He also said, "Je to vzájomne previazané a nemôžu si ako malé deti teraz vyhadzovať na oči, kto je zodpovedný."¹