Slovak coalition frays with minister's removal, early election mooted

Sept 29 (Reuters) - A ‌junior party in ​Slovakia's ​leftist-nationalist coalition voted with the parliamentary opposition to dismiss a minister on Tuesday, raising the ‌possibility that pro-Russian Prime Minister Robert Fico's government ⁠could collapse and an early election be held.

• The move raised questions ‌about the government's survival a ‌year before a scheduled election, and Fico said he would gather his Smer-Slovak Social Democracy (Smer-SSD) party's leadership to ​discuss next steps on Wednesday.

• Fico raised the possibility of an early election and said it could ⁠take place in January, but that would require supermajority approval by parliament.

• The ​parliament voted to dismiss Deputy Prime Minister and Environment Minister Tomas Taraba, who has fallen ​out with the leadership of his ‌far-right Slovak National Party (SNS), which is a junior member of the coalition and had ⁠demanded his resignation.

• The three-party government has been dependent on several loyal independents to control 78 seats in the 150-strong parliament. ⁠The motion to remove Taraba won 77 votes.

• Fico may try ​to reform a governing coalition with current partners.

• A government collapse would not automatically trigger an election, as the constitution presumes forming ‌another cabinet.

• Slovakia under Fico has diverged from European Union and NATO allies by ‌keeping warm relations with Russia and continuing to import Russian ⁠oil and gas.

• Opinion ‌polls show the ​ruling parties may lose power in an election.

(Reporting by Jan Lopatka in Prague; Editing by Cynthia ‌Osterman)

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