President Caputova appoints top economist Ludovit Odor as Slovakia’s interim prime minister

Respected economist Ludovit Odor has been appointed as Slovakia’s interim prime minister on Monday, TVP World reported. He will lead the country until elections are held in September. 46-year-old Odor was serving on the board of the country’s central bank before he was asked by the country’s President Zuzana Caputova to lead the interim government.

Responsibilities of the new government

President Zuzana Caputova said she expects the interim government to tame inflation, prepare the budget for 2024 and ensure budget sustainability. “We are facing an epidemic of populism, lies which become the truth for some people after being repeated hundreds of times,” Caputova told the new cabinet at its appointment ceremony. “I expect you to be part of a counterweight to that phenomenon,” she added.

Caputova has also appointed Central Bank chief economist Michal Horvath as the country’s interim finance minister.

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Former PM Eduard Heger resigned last week

Earlier, Slovakia's Prime Minister, Eduard Heger, submitted the resignation of his caretaker government last week to Zuzana Čaputová. Heger had been leading the caretaker administration since last December when his four-party coalition government faced a vote of no confidence and collapsed.

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The loss of support for Heger's coalition government in December was attributed to its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, the cost of living crisis, and its support to families, according to Bloomberg. The interim cabinet under Heger faced a similar fate, with key ministers resigning one after another.

Initially, Heger had expressed his willingness to lead the caretaker government until September of this year when fresh elections were scheduled. However, the resignations of two key ministers disrupted his plans.

Heger enjoyed strong Western support

Eduard Heger had garnered strong international support during his tenure. The coalition government he led was backed by the European Union and Western countries due to its participation in anti-Russia sanction campaigns. Heger's government had provided substantial military aid to Ukraine, including MiG-29 jets, infantry vehicles, and the S-300 missile system.

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However, his main opponent and former three-time Prime Minister, Robert Fico, currently leads in the opinion polls ahead of the September elections. Fico is known for his more conciliatory stance towards Russia and has often questioned Slovakia's military assistance to Ukraine.

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