Slovak minister faces dismissal calls amid coalition dispute; Russian critic fears deportation

The Slovak National Party (SNS) intends to propose the dismissal of Environment Minister Tomáš Taraba, citing his alleged false claims about secret negotiations with the opposition. SNS leader Andrej Danko plans to discuss the minister's removal with Taraba and Prime Minister Robert Fico. The party asserts its right to propose a minister's dismissal based on the coalition agreement.

Taraba, however, has accused Danko of colluding with the opposition party Progresívne Slovensko (PS) to orchestrate his removal from parliament. He stated, "It will be like that, I have no doubt about it." PS, through Simona Petrík, denied any coordination with SNS, suggesting Taraba might be trying to involve the opposition in internal coalition disputes. While PS believes Taraba deserves to be dismissed, they deny a joint strategy with SNS.

SNS has refuted Taraba's claims, labeling them as lies and political maneuvering, and stating they have not held negotiations with any opposition party. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Fico, after meeting with Danko and Taraba, called a meeting of the three highest constitutional officials. Fico emphasized his priority is maintaining a functional government majority and ensuring the state budget's approval, while also acknowledging Taraba's contributions as a minister.

In a separate development, Vladislav Novoshinskii, a Russian who fled his country in July 2024 due to his opposition to the war in Ukraine, fears deportation from Slovakia. He claims that several questionable actions by the immigration police could lead to his expulsion to Russia, where he faces potential imprisonment for criticizing the regime.