Slovak political leadership developments

Political figures Boris Kollár and Richard Sulík are expected to announce their political plans during a press conference at the National Council of the Slovak Republic. Speculation suggests the two may form a joint candidate list for upcoming parliamentary elections. While Sulík has not officially confirmed the details, reports indicate he may not join a specific party but instead collaborate with Kollár, the chairman of the Sme rodina party.

In a separate development regarding future governance, Slovak President Peter Pellegrini suggested that a large coalition between the Smer-SD and Progresívne Slovensko (PS) parties could provide greater stability following the 2027 parliamentary elections. Pellegrini noted that such a partnership would require a leader capable of prioritizing national governance over personal ego and could be necessary if election results lead to a political stalemate where no current bloc can form a majority.

Michal Šimečka, leader of PS, rejected the suggestion, describing Smer as a major obstacle to progress and calling the idea of a coalition an “absurdity”. Veronika Remišová of Za ľudí also criticized the President’s stance.

On foreign policy, Pellegrini warned that the conflict in Ukraine is beginning to spill across borders and called for intensified diplomatic dialogue between the West, Ukraine, and Russia. Domestically, the President expressed reservations regarding the nomination of Filip Kuffa for Minister of Environment, urging Prime Minister Robert Fico to select a more expert candidate.

Regarding economic policy, Prime Minister Robert Fico is reconsidering the planned abolition of the transaction tax, suggesting the approximately 500 million euros in revenue could be redirected toward hospital construction and transport projects. Fico also stated the government is prepared to compensate for energy costs in 2027 and warned that Slovakia would veto EU budget proposals that negatively impact domestic farmers.