Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico reacts after a meeting of Slovakia’s three top officials at the Bratislava castle, Bratislava, Slovakia March 9, 2018. REUTERS/Radovan Stoklasa

BRATISLAVA (Reuters) - Slovak junior ruling party Most-Hid (Bridge) will seek talks with coalition parties about leading the country toward early elections or will leave the government coalition if no agreement is made, its leader Bela Bugar said on Monday.

Slovakia has been thrown into political crisis after the murder in late February of a journalist probing corruption, sparking the largest street protests in decades and pushing Prime Minister Robert Fico’s government near to collapse.

“We think this situation can be solved only by early elections,” Bugar told reporters.