Parliament ousts environment minister with help from his own coalition
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Slovakia's coalition has reached the point where junior partners are sacking their own ministers with the help of the opposition. Andrej Danko, leader of the Slovak National Party, orchestrated the removal of Deputy Prime Minister Tomáš Taraba, an act Prime Minister Robert Fico responded to by immediately summoning his party leadership. It is a victory for Mr Danko, though he now faces the difficulty of explaining why he broke his own coalition agreement.
A separate investigation has traced the activities of Russian military intelligence operating from within the country, with leads extending from Prešov into Germany. The security services are also under scrutiny at home; an inspection unit is currently examining how police handled a recent attack at a school in Staškov, while prosecutors in a different case have requested a life sentence for an attacker at a school in Spišská Stará Ves.
The domestic mood remains volatile. A new trustworthiness poll shows both Robert Fico and opposition leader Michal Šimečka being overtaken by an unexpected newcomer. This comes as Bratislava secures the top spot in a national quality-of-life ranking, a distinction not shared by Košice, which saw its standing fall.