Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová has officially entrusted Robert Fico, the leader of the victorious Směr-Social Democracy party, with the responsibility of forming a new government. Směr secured a significant victory in the recent election with 22.94 percent of the vote, positioning Fico as a prominent figure in Slovak politics. Fico now has a two-week deadline to assemble the cabinet.

President Čaputová expressed her gratitude to all participants in the elections, highlighting the democratic and lawful nature of the electoral process. She commended the relatively high voter turnout and emphasized that the election results accurately reflect the opinions, values, and sentiments of Slovak society. Čaputová also underscored the importance of the new government in addressing social divides and promoting unity within the Slovak Republic, emphasizing that its role extends beyond the elections.

The president confirmed that she had entrusted the formation of the new government to Robert Fico, acknowledging the challenges involved in this task. Fico, in turn, expressed his commitment to the responsibility but did not disclose which potential coalition partner he would initiate negotiations with.

In addition to engaging with Fico, President Čaputová is scheduled to meet with Michal Šimečka, the chairman of Progressive Slovakia, on Monday, and with Peter Pellegrini, the chairman of the Voice party, on Tuesday. Progressive Slovakia secured the second position in the election with 17.96% of the vote, while the third-place party was the Voice-Social Democracy party, receiving 14.7%.

It is widely anticipated that Směr will form a coalition government with the Hlas party and Andrej Danko’s Slovak National Party, which received 5.62 percent of the vote in the election. This coalition would command a majority in the parliament, with 79 out of 150 MPs.

Reflecting on the election results, President Čaputová took to social media on Sunday to describe them as a free and democratic representation of Slovak society. She acknowledged both jubilation and disappointment among the people, emphasizing that these results accurately reflect Slovakia’s diversity. Čaputová also recognized that the election campaign had strained social relationships and trust in politics and democracy, urging the winner to meet public expectations for the benefit of all citizens.

Article by Prague Forum