Hours before the Slovak parliament votes on greater powers for the eurozone’s bail-out fund, the country’s Prime Minister Iveta Radicova has decided to put her job on the line over the decision.

Plans to beef up the eurozone’s bail-out fund are being put in jeopardy by Slovakia, where a coalition stalemate has prompted the government to consider seeking a special derogation.

Slovakia, which joined the eurozone in 2009, should have a ‘plan B’ to return to its national currency, the country’s parliamentary speaker, Richard Sulik, has said, amid frustration over the way the eurozone is handling the debt crisis.

The debt-ridden eurozone risks break-up unless it forces banks to eventually share the crisis bill with taxpayers, Slovakia, the euro area member who recently refused to participate in the Greek bail-out, has suggested.

The emerging new leadership in Slovakia has said the country will not contribute its share of the €110 billion rescue package for Greece. In addition, Bratislava is likely not to add its signature to the €750 billion eurozone support mechanism – something that could put the entire project on ice.

Greece has come closer to receiving the first tranche of a €110 billion loan as Germany, the Netherlands and Portugal approved their countries’ contribution to an unprecedented rescue operation. Slovakia has meanwhile softened its stance, with the finance minister set to add his signature to a so-called inter-creditor agreement.

As the Greek government awaits the first tranche of a €110 billion rescue loan, its socialist counterpart in Slovakia has said it will not immediately contribute its share, citing doubts over Athens’ ability to push ahead with necessary reforms.

After a decade of the EU’s failed efforts to become the world’s most dynamic knowledge-based economy, Brussels is laying down a fresh economic vision based on innovation, education and digital technologies. But some eastern member states, such as Slovakia and Poland are concerned about where the money will come from.

The European Union and Russia on Monday signed an early warning agreement designed to prevent sudden energy cut-offs. But the Slovak Prime Minister, after separate talks in Moscow, said a fresh gas crisis is lurking round the corner.

European capitals are likely to continue running high deficits in 2010, but the following year should see a “very substantial” reduction in countries’ debt burden, the European Commission has suggested in a strategy document for EU finance ministers.