On Wednesday, Slovakia witnessed a significant political move as President Peter Pellegrini appointed a new minister of tourism and sports. This reshuffle aims to bring stability to the government amid recent tensions. The newly appointed minister, Rudolf Huliak, represents a strategic decision made two weeks ago by the coalition parties to bolster the influence of the Smer (Direction) party, led by the populist Prime Minister Robert Fico.
In a significant political agreement, the two junior coalition partners, the Hlas (Voice) party and the ultranationalist Slovak National Party, ceded control of a ministry each to the Smer party. Consequently, Smer has expanded its governance to oversee nine ministries, while Hlas controls six, and the Slovak National Party remains in charge of two.
This redistribution of power emerged from a recent crisis that threatened the coalition’s parliamentary majority. Initially holding 79 of the 150 parliamentary seats, the coalition faced potential instability when four members from Hlas and three from the Slovak National Party, including Huliak, dissociated from their factions.
These lawmakers did not defect to the opposition; however, they leveraged their positions to secure ministerial and institutional roles as a condition for their continued loyalty. This dynamic posed challenges for the government’s ability to further its legislative goals.
Notably, Huliak is not a member of the Slovak National Party. Instead, he heads a smaller, far-right group known as the National Coalition party. He previously faced opposition from Pellegrini’s predecessor, Zuzana ?aputová, who rejected his nomination as environment minister post-2023 elections due to his skepticism about climate change and his controversial stance on violence towards environmentalists.
As the mayor of O?ová town in central Slovakia, Huliak has been vocal against LGBTQ+ communities, criticized the European Union, and expressed pro-Russian sentiments, adding layers to the political complexity.
Prime Minister Fico has yet to publicly detail his strategy concerning the Investments, Regional Development and Information Ministry, amidst ongoing protests against the government’s pro-Russian policies and other controversial directions.
