Slovak Ruling Coalition Loses Support as Smer Falls and Voice Party Nears Electoral Threshold

Slovakia's ruling coalition is losing public support according to a new IPSOS poll, with Prime Minister Robert Fico's Smer-SD party declining while its coalition partner Voice (Hlas) is approaching the minimum threshold needed to enter parliament. The poll results come amid ongoing discussions about raising the electoral threshold from the current five percent to seven percent, a proposal that would potentially leave Voice outside parliament if implemented. Smer-SD, the dominant social-democratic party that leads Slovakia's government, has seen its popularity drop while Voice, the centrist party led by former Smer member Peter Pellegrini, risks falling below the electoral viability line. The polling data suggests potential instability for the current government coalition, which took power following elections in 2023.