Fears of Fico Return and What It Might Mean for Slovak Democracy

The ride was always likely to be bumpy given the combative characters of OLaNO leader Igor Matovic and Richard Sulik of the conservative Freedom & Solidarity (SaS) party. But amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, the fact the coalition has lasted this long is already something of a surprise to many.

The coalition has teetered throughout its two years in power. A threat to quit the government by Sulik, the economy minister, helped force Matovic from the prime minister's chair in March 2021, after he agreed a secret deal to buy Russia's Sputnik vaccine.

However, Matovic remains finance minister, and as OLaNO chairman retains significant sway over the government now headed by his protégé Eduard Heger.

In June, with OLaNO's coalition partners refusing to back a bill to help households deal with the inflation surge, Matovic forced it through with the support of far-right MPs. Sulik quickly laid down a new ultimatum: either Matovic quits the government by September 1 or SaS will walk.

Pictured right, Minister of Finance Igor Matoviè (OLaNO) and Prime Minister Eduard Heger (OLaNO) during a press conference after a meeting of coalition representatives held at the government hotel Bôrik in Bratislava on Saturday, 20 August 2022. Everything is heading towards SaS ministers resigning on 31 August. PHOTO TASR - Dano Veselský Devil and deep blue sea

Shorn of SaS's 19 deputies, the remaining coalition parties - OLaNO, the populist right-wing SME Rodina, and liberal conservative Za Ludi - would be left eight seats short of a majority in the 150-seat parliament.

However, that threat has done little to promote compromise within the coalition. Bitter and undignified sniping has filled the summer headlines.

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