Robert Fico’s Smer party dominates the new Government

Robert Fico's third Government will have 9 ministers nominated by his own Smer party with only one new name on the list: the Health Minister Tomáš Drucker, the former head of Slovak Post who also held various managerial positions. Five current ministers will retain their posts in the new government - Robert Kaliňák (Interior), Peter Kažimír (Finance), Miroslav Lajčák (Foreign and European Affairs), Marek Maďarič (Culture) and Jan Richter (Labour, Social Affairs and the Family). Former Environment Minister Peter Žiga moves to the Agriculture Ministry as his former post will be now occupied by the nominee of coalition partner Most-Hid, László Solymos. This party's second ministerial post in the Government goes to Lucia Žitňanská who returns to the Justice Ministry which she led between 2010 and 2012. The post of Transport, Construction and Regional Development Minister goes to Sieť (Network) party nominee Roman Brecely, who is the party's expert on power engineering and has held various managerial posts in the past.

The Slovak National Party nominated army general Peter Gajdoš as the new Defence Minister with Gabriela Matečná to lead the Agriculture Ministry and Peter Plavčan at the helm of the Education post. The coalition agreement between Smer, Sieť, Most-Hid and the Slovak National Party should be signed on Tuesday afternoon, with the outgoing Government to hold its final session in the evening of the same day. The new parliament is scheduled to have its inaugural session on Wednesday.