Slovak government faces budget and policy hurdles following summer break

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico faces mounting fiscal and policy challenges following a six-week cabinet recess. Fico rejected statutory debt brake rules requiring a zero-deficit budget, calling a balanced budget "science fiction."

Concurrently, the government approved a constitutional amendment permitting referendums to trigger early parliamentary elections, though the ruling coalition lacks the votes needed to pass the measure in parliament.

In parallel, opposition parties requested the resignation of Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok after traffic monitoring cameras were discovered to contain Russian components, a security issue Fico minimised. Critical coverage also highlighted growing fiscal liabilities tied to infrastructure deals with Chinese investors alongside severe delays in major public construction projects.

Sources: Denník N, Hospodářské noviny, iROZHLAS, Respect, Seznam Zprávy