Fico: Most Important Message Is That 79 MPs Voted for State Budget

Bratislava, 21 October (TASR) – The coalition remains stable, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) stated on Tuesday following the approval of the 2026 state budget, noting that 79 MPs voted in favour of the proposal and that they included members of the governing coalition as well as Independent MPs aligned with Tourism and Sport Minister Rudolf Huliak (Independent). The public administration budget projects a reduction of the public finance deficit from the current 5 percent of GDP to 4.1 percent in 2026. "The political message that 79 members of Parliament – that is, the entire governing coalition formed in 2023 – supported the state budget, and had previously backed the consolidation law, is at this moment the most important thing. It confirms the stability of the governing coalition," stated Fico . The prime minister reiterated that his government inherited the worst public finances in the EU but aims to pass them on to the next government in 2027 "in a normal state", enabling Slovakia to be seen as a credible financial partner and an attractive destination for investment. Despite the fiscal consolidation measures, Fico highlighted that the government managed to increase funding for the Health and Education Ministries, maintain the 13th pension payment, and uphold existing social standards He said that in the coming year the government will focus on key decisions related to slimming down public administration. "We're speaking clearly and jointly about steps to stimulate economic growth, in particular by seeking further investment. We're also discussing how to address major tax evasion issues and make the collection of taxes more effective. These are all issues that we intend to address in the coming weeks, and I believe that we are capable of presenting a package of legislative proposals in the near future that could form the basis for our approach in 2026," added the prime minister. mf/df