Slovakia’s caretaker government resigns after PM takes blame for 'chaos' in country

Slovakia's Prime Minister Eduard Heger tendered the resignation of his caretaker government on Sunday to President Zuzana Čaputová. "I have asked the president to revoke my mandate," the prime minister was quoted as saying by local media. "I will leave it to the president to try to bring Slovakia to free and democratic elections with an interim government," he added. Heger had been leading the caretaker administration since last December after his four-party coalition government collapsed in a vote of no confidence.

According to Bloomberg, Heger’s coalition government lost support in December over the government’s handling of the pandemic, the cost of living crisis and governmental support to families.

Interim government rocked by resignations

Just like Heger’s coalition government, his interim cabinet also collapsed following a series of resignations by his key ministers. On Friday, the Foreign Minister of Slovakia, Rastislav Káčer, submitted his resignation, following a similar decision by Agriculture Minister Samuel Vlčan the day before.

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Káčer sent his resignation from a business trip, after previously criticizing Prime Minister Heger for his statement on Thursday in which he accepted responsibility for the political turmoil in the country, yet still expressed his intention to remain in his position until the early parliamentary elections.

Elections to take place in September

Earlier, Heger expressed his willingness to lead the caretaker government till September this year, when fresh elections are slated to take place. However, the resignations of two key ministers from his cabinet rocked his boat.

According to Slovakia’s constitution, the president cannot appoint new ministers to a caretaker Cabinet. So, all those portfolios were being handled by the PM himself. On Thursday, in a televised address, he admitted that he was “co-responsible for chaos in the country.”

Eduard Heger enjoys strong international support

The coalition government led by Eduard Heger enjoyed strong support from the EU and West, as it didn’t shy away from joining their anti-Russia sanction campaign. His government provided significant military aid to Ukraine, including MiG-29 jets, infantry vehicles, and the S-300 missile system.

However, his key opponent and former three-time Prime Minister Robert Fico is leading in the opinion polls ahead of the September elections. Robert Fico is considered soft on Russia, who often questions Slovakia’s military aid to Ukraine.

Now, Slovakia’s President Zuzana Čaputová is expected to form an interim Cabinet next week.

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