Progressive Slovakia leader Michal Šimečka. (source: TASR)
Michal Šimečka, the leader of the opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS), was removed from his position as deputy speaker of parliament on Tuesday.
The decision came following a secret ballot, in which 76 out of 77 present MPs voted in favour of his dismissal. The sole invalid vote left the tally narrowly in favour of the removal, with no MPs opposing or abstaining.
The coalition, which controls 79 of the 150 seats in parliament, achieved this by securing a majority despite the absence of three MPs from the ruling party Hlas: Roman Malatinec, Samuel Migaľ, and Radomír Šalitroš.
Approached by the Sme daily, Malatinec said, “Hlas should focus on its own policies and avoid being drawn into this battle. There are more pressing issues.”
This marks a historic deviation from Slovakia’s modern parliamentary tradition, where it has been customary for one of the four deputy speaker positions to be held by the opposition.
The debate over Šimečka’s removal began several weeks ago, with the Hlas party previously evasive about its stance on the issue. The extraordinary session to vote on his dismissal was initiated last week by MPs from Smer and the far-right Slovak National Party (SNS). The accusations against Šimečka included allegations of misuse of state subsidies by his family and claims of manipulating subsidy allocations. Additionally, his role in organising protests against the controversial ministers of culture and justice was cited, with claims that he wants to keep his family’s access to public funding safe.
Parliament before the removal of Michal Šimečka from the position of deputy speaker on September, 17, 2024 in Bratislava. (source: TASR)
Šimečka has denied these allegations, and last week, coalition MPs were unable to substantiate claims of illegal conduct by Šimečka and his relatives, despite assertions from coalition leaders, including PM and Smer leader Robert Fico. On the other hand, Progressive Slovakia published a list of coalition MPs involved in projects or organisations that had previously received state funds.
In a defiant response on Tuesday, Šimečka remarked, “Mr. Fico, you may remove a deputy speaker, but you cannot remove an opposition leader. I look forward to defeating you in the next elections. Now I have several extra hours each day to do so.” He further mocked the situation, suggesting that Slovakia’s problems would miraculously resolve following his removal.
Šimečka characterised the move as retaliation for his good opposition work. He learned of his ousting during a meeting with President Peter Pellegrini, a former Hlas leader and a former protégé of Robert Fico.
Currently, parliament lacks a permanent speaker of parliament due to ongoing conflicts over the post within the ruling coalition. As of today, the parliament is led by three coalition representatives and deputy speakers: Peter Žiga (Hlas), who recently faced a corruption charge; the charged ex-police chief and MP Tibor Gašpar (Smer); and SNS leader Andrej Danko, who earlier this year was involved in a car accident and fled the scene.
It remains unclear who will replace Šimečka from the opposition ranks, with opposition parties rejecting the idea of nominating another candidate from their side.
