Slovakia’s interim Prime Minister Eduard Heger has announced his resignation from office and the presentation of his interim cabinet to President Zuzana Caputova. Heger has led the interim government since December 2020. The decision has been made in the wake of a lingering political crisis in the country. Slovak MPs voted against Heger’s four-party coalition government in a motion on December 15 last year. Since then, Heger’s team has continued to dispatch the country’s current affairs with an eye on the upcoming elections scheduled for September 30.
The political crisis in Slovakia, a member of the European Union and NATO, has deepened this week. On Thursday, Agriculture Minister Samuel Vlcan announced his resignation after it was revealed that he had given a €1.4 million ($1.6 million) grant to a company of his. The following day, Chancellor Rastislav Kacer also announced his intention to leave the executive, without specifying the reasons. Heger assured that he will coordinate his decisions with President Caputova and will meet with her this Sunday afternoon.
Heger’s resignation raises new questions about Slovakia’s political future. The country has been ruled by an interim government since the previous prime minister, Igor Matovic, resigned following a series of scandals related to the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. President Caputova will have to make a decision on the future of her government and call new elections in the country.