Growth slowed sharply in 2025, complicating efforts to reduce the fiscal deficit and put debt on a sustainable path. Meanwhile, structural headwinds related to geoeconomic fragmentation and aging weigh on medium-term growth and raise concerns about Slovakia’s ability to converge to living standards in more advanced EU countries. The key objectives now are to put in place a multi-year strategy for restoring debt sustainability, while implementing structural reforms to strengthen productivity and support medium-term growth.