The Slovak Prime Minister, Eduard Heger, announced this Sunday that he has resigned from his interim government to President Zuzana Caputova, after a persistent political crisis.
“I asked the president to revoke my mandate,” Heger, who has headed the interim government since December, told reporters.
The centrist prime minister assured that all his decisions will be coordinated with the Head of State, with whom he plans to meet this afternoon.
The political crisis in Slovakia, a country of 5.4 million inhabitants, a member of the European Union and NATO, has intensified this week.
On Thursday, the Minister of Agriculture, Samuel Vlcan, announced his resignation after hearing a case related to a subsidy of 1.4 million euros granted to his company.
The next day, Chancellor Rastislav Kacer also announced his desire to leave the government. The minister did not specify the reasons for his decision.
On December 15, the Slovak Parliament approved a motion of no confidence against the coalition government of Eduard Heger, presented by his former liberal ally.
A day later, the Heger-led government formally resigned, following a vote of no confidence passed against the executive, and President Zuzana Caputova called early elections for June 2023.
The approval of the motion of no confidence against the minority government did not automatically force the holding of early elections and the Heger government remained in office until new suffrage in the country, provided that a constitutional reform that allows it is implemented.
The presidential palace announced in December that the Heger government would have limited and temporary powers to deal with current affairs.
Slovakia’s constitution does not allow for early elections, but the Supreme Court has raised the option of amending the constitution, with the approval of a three-fifths majority of the 90 members of parliament.
In January, Slovakia’s deputies decided to schedule early legislative elections in that European Union member state for September 30.
Source: TSF
