Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico solidified his grip on parliament Wednesday, regaining enough rebel lawmakers to fully restore his governing majority after months of internal strife and political defections.

Infighting within the three-party leftist-nationalist coalition had briefly left Fico’s government in a minority position in the 150-seat legislature earlier this year. However, a cabinet reshuffle last month helped him reclaim some dissident lawmakers, granting him a fragile majority.

The final piece of his political comeback came Wednesday when Slovakia’s president prepared to appoint an independent lawmaker as minister for investment and development—an appointment orchestrated by Fico. This move bolsters his coalition’s seat count to 79, the same number the ruling bloc secured in the 2023 election.

"I believe I can confidently say that by the next parliamentary session, which begins next week, our coalition will once again have 79 votes," Fico announced following a government meeting. "This means we should be able to govern effectively and pass key legislation."

The coalition’s internal turmoil has played out alongside large-scale public protests, fueled by Fico’s foreign policy stance, which critics argue aligns Slovakia too closely with Russia.

A vocal opponent of military assistance to Ukraine, Fico insists that continuing arms shipments would only extend the war against Russian forces. His stance has put him at odds with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, particularly over the suspension of Russian gas transit through Ukraine.

Meanwhile, protesters demanding Fico’s resignation accuse him of undermining Slovakia’s pro-Western commitments. He, in turn, has alleged that activists and opposition forces are intentionally stoking unrest and attempting to seize government buildings to destabilize his administration—an accusation his critics vehemently deny.