Negotiations for snap elections have started after Prime Minister Eduard Heger (OĽaNO) failed to find a new majority in the National Council.
The ruling coalition lost the no-confidence vote in December. President Zuzana Čaputová gave parties until the end of January to either find a new majority or decide on the term of new elections.
Last weeks have seen the attempt of Heger to find a majority. Only a week ago he said that he feels “hopeful”, but after former coalition partner Freedom and Solidarity decided not to support Heger in his pursuit, new elections are the only solution.
“We reject the discussion of a new majority,” Freedom and Solidarity leader Richard Sulík wrote in a statement.
“All efforts should therefore be directed towards the only reasonable solution in this situation. That is why I insist that Parliament take decisions by the end of January leading to early parliamentary elections,” Čaputová said.
Sulík confirmed that the party supports the elections in September same as coalition member We are Family. Opposition leaders Smer-SD of Robert Fico and Hlas-SD of Peter Pellegrini support the elections as soon as possible – in June.
It is not yet clear who will run the country until the elections. The President may appoint her bureaucratic government, but it would need support in the National Council, which is not certain given the unpopularity of Čaputová among some of the opposition parties.
The president said that if parliament won’t act until the end of January, she is “ready to act according to my constitutional competencies,” meaning she may appoint her government.
(Michal Hudec | EURACTIV.sk)
Source: euractiv.com
