Bratislava, 29 September (TASR) – An early election is the only recourse in the situation that has arisen, Progressive Slovakia (PS) leader Michal Simecka declared in response to Tuesday’s parliamentary dismissal of Tomas Taraba (a SNS nominee) as environment minister.

Simecka added that PS will put pressure on the government to hold an early election as soon as possible, and called on Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) to resign.

According to Simecka, the government will no longer be stable once Taraba returns to Parliament. “We call on the prime minister to simply step down and acknowledge reality. This blow that Parliament has dealt to Robert Fico’s government today should be, and in any normal democracy probably would already be, definitive,” Simecka said. He called on the prime minister to “face reality and tender his resignation”.

In Simecka’s view, the Slovak people want an effective government that addresses their problems. He reiterated that PS’s aim is to bring about change as soon as possible and that the party is prepared to vote for an early election at the earliest possible date — including in January.

On Tuesday evening, Parliament dismissed Taraba as the deputy prime minister and environment minister by 77 votes.