Slovak government resumes work amid fiscal debates and security concerns

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico returned from a six-week cabinet recess to face growing fiscal and security challenges. Fico rejected statutory debt brake requirements mandating a balanced budget, calling a zero-deficit budget "science fiction." Meanwhile, the cabinet approved a constitutional amendment to allow referendums on early parliamentary elections, though the ruling coalition currently lacks the necessary parliamentary majority to enact it.

Separately, opposition parties demanded the resignation of Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok following discoveries that new traffic monitoring cameras contained Russian-made components. Fico dismissed security concerns surrounding the hardware. In addition, media reports highlighted long-term financial risks associated with Chinese-backed infrastructure projects alongside mounting delays in major public construction works across the country.

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