Slovakian Prime Minister Eduard Heger leaves the hall before the confidence vote in Parliament in Bratislava.
(Photo: Jaroslav Novak/AP)
In Slovakia, the conservative-populist government of Prime Minister Eduard Heger was overthrown by a vote of no confidence. In the Bratislava parliament on Thursday, 78 out of 150 MPs voted in favor of a motion of no confidence from the liberal Freedom and Solidarity Party (SaS).
Until the beginning of September, the SaS itself was still a member of the governing coalition of the EU and NATO member states. The coalition came to power in 2020 but lost its majority in September when the SaS left the government over a dispute with Igor Matovič, leader of the ruling Oľano party, breaking up the coalition. Prime Minister Heger then announced that he wanted to lead a minority government with the remaining three coalition partners.
In the run-up to the vote, Matovič had offered to resign as finance minister if the opposition party SaS withdrew its motion of no confidence in the government and supported its budget plans. However, the SaS declined this offer after talks.
Who will govern Slovakia in the future now depends primarily on President Zuzana Caputova. It can provisionally instruct the fallen government to continue its work until a new coalition is formed. But it can also set up a government of experts. For new elections before the planned date of 2024, another parliamentary decision would be necessary.