(Bloomberg) -- Slovakia’s ruling coalition removed the opposition leader from the post of a deputy speaker of parliament, sparking claims the move was a vendetta against key critic of Premier Robert Fico.
Fico’s coalition dismissed Michal Simecka on suspicion of allowing his family members to receive government subsidies while he was in a position to influence government decisions. Progressive Slovakia, which Simecka leads, is the largest opposition party in parliament.
Fico and his allies also accused Simecka of polarizing Slovak society by organizing anti-government protests. Simecka rejected the accusations as fabricated and aimed at undermining the opposition.
In a speech at the beginning of the parliamentary session Simecka accused the government of “playing political games” and focusing on “personal vendettas.”
The ruling party wrote in their justification for the dismissal that “stirring up hatred against specific individuals” can lead to violence, citing May’s assassination attempt against Fico as an example. The Slovak premier has since blamed the opposition for radicalizing his attacker, who was critical of the government.
The removal of Simecka from his position as deputy speaker has broken a longstanding parliamentary tradition by which opposition parties are entitled to hold one deputy speaker seat without interference from the government majority in selecting the candidate.
The controversy comes as Slovakia faces growing European Commission scrutiny for potential violations of the rule of law after the government dismantled a key anti-corruption prosecutor’s office. The Commission is considering initiating proceedings against Slovakia, which could lead to a suspension of European funding.
The country could also face infringement proceedings over its overhaul of public media, as the government tightened its control over public television and radio, potentially clashing with European laws.
These steps, as well as the government’s decision to halt military support for Ukraine, have deepened divisions within Slovak society and led to some fears among Slovaks that the country will become isolated among its NATO and European Union partners.
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