By Radovan Stoklasa BRATISLAVA (Reuters) -Tens of thousands of protesters thronged a central square in the Slovak capital on Friday, waving banners opposing Prime Minister Robert Fico's policy shift closer to Russia,

Slovakia's opposition accused Prime Minister Robert Fico on Tuesday of laying the groundwork to take the country out of the European Union, but dropped its no-confidence motion to dismiss him and his leftist-nationalist government.

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.

Slovakia's opposition parties will call a no-confidence vote against the government, a party chief said on Tuesday, accusing Prime Minister Robert Fico of dragging foreign policy closer to Russia while failing to tackle problems at home.

The Friday protests were organised by civic group Mier Ukrajine (Peace to Ukraine). Media reported around 15,000 turned up in Kosice in eastern Slovakia, the country's second biggest city, on Thursday. (Reporting by Radovan Stoklasa in Bratislava and Jason Hovet in Prague; Editing by Sharon Singleton)

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.

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