Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's administration plans measures to prevent long-running public protests from escalating into attempts at overthrowing the government, citing intelligence showing opponents seeking to gain power.

Slovakia's populist prime minister, Robert Fico, has claimed opposition forces are planning a "Maidan"-style coup in Slovakia, referring to the popular uprising that toppled Ukraine's pro-Russian president Viktor Yanukovych in 2014.

Ahead of planned pro-European protests in around 20 Slovak cities Friday, the pro-Moscow ruling coalition on Thursday used an emergency meeting of the country’s Security Council to address what it alleged was an “organized escalation” of domestic tensions directed from abroad.

Operatives who participated in the Ukrainian Maidan and in Georgias unrest are now active in central Europe the Slovak prime minister has claimed

Representatives of the opposition parties of Slovakia left the meeting of the parliament, thereby refusing the vote initiated by them on the issue of confidence in the government of Robert Fico. This was reported by local media.

Slovakia’s opposition called for an investigation into Prime Minister Robert Fico’s administration for potentially misusing the intelligence service to suppress political adversaries and civil society.

Slovakia's Moscow-friendly prime minister has faced accusations by the country's largest opposition party of trying to take the country out of the EU. View on euronews