Slovakia’s parliament on September 26 approved a contentious constitutional overhaul by the narrowest possible margin, after several opposition MPs unexpectedly backed the government’s bill, delivering the 90 votes required for passage. The amendment – criticised by experts, civil rights groups, the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission and the European Commission – enshrines references to “national identity”, retains sovereignty above all in matters of cultural-ethical questions, defines sex strictly as male or female on biological grounds, strengthens parental control over sex education, bans surrogacy, and ties most adoptions to marriage. It also introduces an equal-pay clause and empowers the state to police school curricula determined to be against the constitution. Teachers, for example, warn that the provisions on sex education could create “anarchy”. The package, which will come into force in November after being signed by the president, was driven by Robert Fico’s Smer party alongside coalition partners Hlas and SNS, with support from most MPs in the Christian Democrats (KDH). It passed only after two MPs from Igor Matovic’s conservative Hnutie Slovensko, Marek Krajci and Rastislav Kratky, voted in favour, joining Richard Vasecka of the Christian Union faction. Krajci justified his decision by saying “it is not a problem for God to use even Robert Fico to do good”. Matovic denounced the move as a “betrayal”, claiming he learned of their plan minutes before the vote. Unlike Krajci, Kratky has been expelled from the party and its caucus. Opposition leaders reacted fiercely. Michal Simecka of Progressive Slovakia said the defections “end any talk” of future cooperation with Matovic’s party. The SaS leader, Branislav Grohling, described it as a “black day” that risks undermining Slovakia’s EU commitments. The KDH, however, hailed the result as a defence of human dignity, calling it one of its greatest successes – comparable, it claimed, to Slovakia joining the EU or NATO – while dismissing speculation that Smer is attempting to poach its voters. Fico celebrated what he called a “historic” victory that could inspire other countries. “This is a big dam against progressives that we have built,” he said, adding that Smer would mark the result “with a bit of alcohol”. Fico also revealed he had asked “influential people” to speak to Kratky and Krajci before the vote, but did not say who. Some suggested figures from the Catholic Church, which applauded the amendment’s adoption.
Slovakia’s ruling coalition is facing fresh turmoil after a senior government minister accused President Peter Pellegrini of plotting to topple PM Fico and replace his cabinet with a temporary caretaker government. Samuel Migal, minister for investment and a former member of Pellegrini’s Hlas party, alleged on Wednesday that the president was planning to “bring down” the government after returning from a trip to the US. Without presenting any evidence, Migal claimed Pellegrini would pressure Fico to dismiss him, which could break the coalition agreement and trigger the government’s collapse. The president’s office immediately rejected the accusation, calling it “an absolute lie”. It emphasised that only parliament has the power to dismiss a government. Pellegrini, who has recently been the target of repeated attacks from the nationalist SNS party and its leader Andrej Danko, accused Migal of inventing enemies to hide his own shortcomings. Hlas, Pellegrini’s own party, also dismissed the claims. Party chairman Matus Sutaj Estok labeled Migal’s statements “fabricated accusations”, pointing out that Migal’s ministerial post exists only thanks to the support of Fico’s Smer party. “It makes me wonder if he is not the one actually trying to bring down the government,” Estok said. Parliamentary speaker Richard Rasi added that Migal was spreading conspiracy theories because “he has no results to show”. The dispute highlights the fragile state of Fico’s coalition, which depends on the uneasy partnership between Smer, Hlas and the far-right SNS. Danko, who has repeatedly attacked Pellegrini personally and politically, welcomed Migal’s remarks as “a good analysis”, raising suspicions that he may be aligning tactically against the president. For now, opposition parties appear unwilling to exploit the tensions, preferring to let Fico bear the political burden of unpopular austerity measures expected in the near future.