Page 11 - bne_newspaper_March_16_2018

Central Europe
March 16, 2018 www.intellinews.com I Page 11
Slovak premier Fico makes way for deputy to defuse political crisis
bne IntelliNews
Prime Minister Robert Fico, the dominant figure in Slovak politics for the past 12 years, resigned on March 15 to end a coalition crisis over the murder of a journalist, making way for his deputy, Peter Pellegrini. Slovak President Andrej Kiska accepted his resignation and authorised Pelligrini, currently deputy PM for investments and informatisation, to form a new government. Fico will remain an act- ing PM until the formation of a new government and he will continue as leader of Smer.
The Slovak governing coalition has been rocked by the murder last month of journalist Jan Kuciak, who was investigating alleged links between the Calabrian mafia and two members of the govern- ment office. The murder has added to simmering discontent with a series of government corruption scandals and has generated large public protests.
The main question, for now, is what influence Fico will keep from the background and whether his resignation will be enough to head off popular discontent with the current political situation.
Fico founded his leftist Smer party in 1999 and has won every election since 2006, ruling as prime min- ister for 10 of those 12 years, except for a short un- stable two-year period when a centre-right coalition was in office. However, he has had serious health problems – reportedly undergoing a quadruple heart bypass – and there has long been speculation that he has become jaded and wanted to change down a gear or even leave domestic politics.
Pellegrini met with Kiska and handed him
the support of 79 coalition MPs, who supported
Peter Pellegrini has long been a rising star in the ruling Smer party.
the resignation of Fico and pledged a support
for a creation of a new government. The current distribution of ministers among coalition partners of Smer-SD, a centrist largely ethnic Hungarian party Most-Hid and a far-right Slovak National Party (SNS) will be maintained.
“All of the 14 coalition Most-Hid MPs have dem- onstrated binding support for a new government that will be set up after incumbent Prime Minis- ter Robert Fico (Smer-SD) resigns,” stated junior coalition Most-Hid head Bela Bugar at a press conference. Most-Hid was unanimous in support- ing the proposal for Fico's resignation on March 14. The party had called for an early election but backed down after Fico resigned.
The second coalition party SNS welcomed the decision of Fico to resign on March 14 and plans to keep its three ministers at their places. SNS vice-chair Anton Hrnko said that this decision allows the coalition members to take a breath. "We're thus getting a new strength to implement the government manifesto which this coalition set in 2016," said Hrnko and added, that “I view prime minister's decision as a gesture towards Most- Hid's demands.”
Fico said during the speech that he will support Pellegrini and that he wants to be an active head of Smer-SD. "We'll do our utmost at the Coalition Council, which will convene shortly, to enable
the new prime minister to bring to Mr President some proposal as to who could be in the new government," said Fico, who called Pellegrini his personal friend and praised his professionalism.