Slovak Government at Risk as Debt Surpasses Legal Limits

WHO:

ABC News - Prime Minister Robert Fico leads the Slovak government.

AP News - The government is a three-party coalition with 78 lawmakers in the National Council.

WHAT:

ABC News - The Slovak government is facing a parliamentary confidence vote.

AP News - The confidence vote was triggered by the country's debt surpassing constitutional fiscal limits.

AP News - The Slovak debt reached 59.7% of gross domestic product the previous month and has risen to 61.4%.

AP News - The government won the confidence vote with all 78 coalition lawmakers voting in support, while 54 voted against.

WHERE:

ABC News - The event is taking place in Bratislava, Slovakia.

AP News - The parliament is known as the National Council.

WHEN:

ABC News - The confidence vote is scheduled for Thursday.

AP News - The Constitutional Court ruled on the matter on Wednesday.

WHY:

ABC News - The confidence vote was called after the Constitutional Court ruled that the government must ask for such a vote without delay.

AP News - The opposition filed a complaint with the court in November due to rising debt levels.

HOW:

ABC News - Coalition lawmakers limited the debate time for the vote to 12 1/2 hours.

AP News - The threshold to trigger the vote is 50% in Slovakia.

(UPDATED June 18, 2026 19:50 UTC)

Prime Minister Robert Fico leads a three-party coalition government in Slovakia, which is currently facing a parliamentary confidence vote due to the country's debt surpassing constitutional fiscal limits. The debt, which rose from 59.7% to 61.4% of gross domestic product, prompted the Constitutional Court to rule that the government must seek a confidence vote without delay, and this vote is scheduled for Thursday. In a show of unity, all 78 coalition lawmakers supported the government during the vote, while 54 lawmakers from the opposition voted against it.