The next attempt to open the session is slated for February 4, the date on which a regular session will begin.
The motion was tabled by opposition parties PS, SaS and KDH, which criticise the cabinet for the way in which it has conducted the consolidation of public finances and changed Slovakia's foreign affairs policy towards Russia. The proposal was originally supposed to be discussed on Tuesday (January 28), but Parliament was inquorate then as well.
Earlier in January, the opposition submitted a different no-confidence motion in the government, and a special emergency session to deliberate on it was held on January 21. After the opening speech by PS leader Michal Simecka, however, Prime Minister Fico had the public excluded for the rest of the session, during which Fico read out a secret report by the Slovak Intelligence Service (SIS) that claimed an organised group controlled by foreign actors had been attempting to destabilise Slovakia. The opposition criticised the fact that it was unable to discuss its complaints about the government's actions publicly, left the session and withdrew the motion, meaning that no vote was held and allowing it to resubmit the motion.
Source: TASR
Ben Pascoe, Photo: TASR
