Council for a Community of Democracies

Slovakian PM Vows to Form a New Government or Head the Opposition
June 21, 2010
By: Randi Zung

According to an article by the Slovak Spectator, following the unexpected results of the country’s parliamentary elections, President Ivan Gašparovič asked Smer party leader Prime Minister Robert Fico to form a new government. Despite winning the majority in the country’s parliamentary election with approximately 35 % of the vote, the party does not hold the majority in the parliament – meaning that it will be difficult to form a new coalition government. Political analysts identify the poor performance of Smer’s political party allies as the reason why Fico must form a new government.

The country’s parliament, known as The National Council of the Slovak Republic, is comprised of 150 seats. Following the election, the country’s four main center-right opposition parties now hold the majority with 79 seats, meaning that they will have an advantage in forming in a new governing coalition. In the event that Smer does not successfully form a new governing coalition, Fico stated that he will lead the new government’s opposition. Commenting on the situation, Fico said that the social-democratic Smer party is prepared to act as a “point-blank opposition to this government,” the Economist reported. The new government will be tasked with addressing the impact of the global economic crisis and the growing public debt.

In the 2006 parliamentary elections, the Smer Party won 29.1 % of the votes and formed a coalition government with The People's Party – Movement for a Democratic Slovakia (HZDS) – the national conservative party and the socialist Slovak National Party.

Slovakia declared itself as a sovereign state in 1992, following the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. The former Communist nation joined NATO and the European Union in 2004.

Sources:
CNN - Nationalist fury as center right makes gains in Slovakia

Voice of America - Slovak President Asks Incumbent PM to Form New Government

The Economist - Another direction

The Slovak Spectator - Vote 2010: Slovak President Gašparovič asks Robert Fico to form a new government

UPDATE

On June 23, BBC News reported that Prime Minister Robert Fico had failed to form a new government. As a result, President Ivan Gašparovič has asked center-right leader Iveta Radicova to form a new government by July 8. Commenting on undertaking the task of forming a new government, Radicova, who is a member of the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union party, stated, "I will do my best to make this a cabinet for citizens, an open cabinet that will be able to say in four years that it's been a great success." If Radicova successfully forms a new government, she will be Slovakia’s first female prime minister.

Source:
BBC News - Slovak centre-right asked to form coalition