Slovakia: Pres. Calls for Early Vote After Gov't Falls

Facts

• On Friday, Slovak Pres. Zuzana Čaputová called for early elections after dismissing the government following the loss of a no-confidence vote. Čaputová requested that PM Eduard Heger and his cabinet remain in a caretaker role while a new government is formed.¹
• On Thursday, the Parliament dealt the government a blow with a no-confidence vote, setting the framework for an early election, which Čaputová — who set an end-of-January deadline to amend the Constitution to enable an early election — said is expected in mid-2023.²
• The vote — which saw 78 lawmakers out of the country's 150-seat parliament approve the ousting of the three-party minority government of Heger — was called by the opposing liberal Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party.³
• SaS withdrew from the coalition government in September over disagreements with Finance Minister Igor Matovic — populist leader of the Ordinary People party, which won the 2020 parliamentary election — on several issues, including the war in Ukraine, COVID measures, the economy, and alleged corruption.³
• In addition to forming a new government, lawmakers must also agree on the 2023 budget by the end of December as Slovakians battle increasing energy bills.¹
• If an early election takes place, the opposition has a good chance of winning the ballot based on recent polls. While the current government led by Heger has stood in solidarity with Ukraine, some current opposition leaders oppose support for Ukraine and the EU sanctions against Russia.²

Sources: ¹Reuters, ²PBS NewsHour and ³Associated Press.

Narratives

• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by Balkan Insight. It's no wonder that the current government has failed: From allegations of corruption and its poor COVID response to its support of Ukraine at the expense of Slovakia's own economy, the majority of Slovakians have had enough. The no-confidence vote led by the opposition shows the will of the people and is finally demanding much-needed reform.
• Pro-establishment narrative, as provided by Bloomberg. PM Heger's leadership and alliance with the EU have been vital to supporting Ukraine from Russia's aggression. This no-confidence vote is a tumultuous upheaval that risks not only upending this fragile unity but also plunging the nation into even further political catastrophe.