President Caputova replaces Interior Minister with PM temporarily

President Zuzana Caputova took action on Wednesday by revoking Ivan Simko's authority to lead the Interior Ministry and instead appointed caretaker Premier Ludovit Odor to oversee the ministry temporarily. The proposal to revoke Simko's credentials came from Premier Odor himself, who cited a breach of trust between Simko and the police leadership as the main reason.
 
Premier Odor further revealed that over 20 senior police officers were contemplating leaving their positions due to Simko's actions, and this discontent was not solely related to his statements on social media. Odor clarified that it was the culmination of a series of events, making it the final straw that led to the decision.
 
As part of the caretaker government managing the country until the new cabinet is formed after the snap general election in September, Simko could not be dismissed outright. However, President Caputova's action removed him from his position in the Interior Ministry.
 
In a press conference following the decision, Ivan Simko asserted that he never interfered with the work of law enforcement bodies and had no intentions to do so. He acknowledged that his statements after the murder in Dubnica nad Vahom were poorly chosen but attributed the tension to his refusal to sign a proposal appointing a criminally prosecuted police officer to a position at the police inspectorate.
 
Simko explained that his emotional reactions to the tragic event in Dubnica nad Vahom were used as a pretext for the dispute with the police chief. He expressed regret if his words had hurt the feelings of the dedicated police officers.
 
Source: TASR