Slovak Prime Minister Fico Attacks Coalition Partner Hlas Over Budget Pressure and Campaign Tactics

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico publicly criticized his coalition partner Hlas in a new video, accusing the party of "privatizing" political issues and using aggressive campaign tactics including billboards. Fico specifically attacked Hlas for claiming ownership of the 13th pension payment issue and for exerting pressure during budget negotiations. The public dispute between Fico's Smer-SD party, which leads Slovakia's ruling coalition, and Hlas reveals growing tensions within the government. Hlas, a center-left party that split from Smer in 2020, has been positioning itself as a key advocate for pensioner benefits, particularly the controversial 13th pension payment that has become a significant political issue in Slovak domestic policy.