Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) has submitted a proposal to President Peter Pellegrini to appoint Culture Minister Martina Šimkovičová (SNS nominee) as deputy prime minister.
"This proposal is based on the 2023 coalition agreement between Smer-SD, Hlas-SD and SNS, under which every coalition party is represented in the government of the Slovak Republic by a deputy prime minister," explained the Government Office.
Following Parliament's vote of no confidence in former Deputy Prime Minister and Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (an SNS nominee), the posts of deputy prime ministers are currently held only by Hlas-SD and Smer-SD nominees, namely Deputy Prime Minister and Economy Minister Denisa Sakova (Hlas-SD) and Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer-SD).
Taraba was dismissed from his post by Pellegrini on 30 September after Parliament passed a motion of no confidence in Taraba the day before, with SNS voting for his ouster together with the opposition following an escalating dispute between Taraba and SNS. Taraba subsequently returned to Parliament as an independent MP.
Last week, Fico submitted a proposal to appoint Environment Ministry State Secretary Filip Kuffa (an SNS nominee) as environment minister to the Presidential Palace. The President hasn't yet decided on the proposal.
Source: TASR
