New Slovakian government wins mandatory confidence vote

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia – Slovakia’s new government, which was faced with the immediate policy challenge of the coronavirus pandemic, won a mandatory confidence vote in Parliament on Thursday.

Of the 141 lawmakers present in the 150-seat Parliament, 93 voted to give confidence to the four-party coalition government that was sworn on March 21. Forty eight were opposed.

The coalition is led by Prime Minister Igor Matovic, whose centre-right Ordinary People captured 25% of the Feb. 29 vote.

The 46-year-old Matovic made fighting corruption the central plank of his election campaign but had to immediately refocus his priorities to deal with the pandemic.

The government adopted strict restrictive measures, including limits on movement, and made wearing a face mask mandatory in public.

Currently, the development of the outbreak in Slovakia has made it possible to start relaxing some restrictions.

The country has only around 4,500 cases of COVID-19 and 23 people have died, according to government figures released on Thursday. The day-to-day increase of the positive cases is under 10 for a fifth straight day.

Matovic struck a deal to govern with the pro-business Freedom and Solidarity party; the conservative For People, a party established by former President Andrej Kiska; and We Are Family, a populist right-wing group that is allied with France’s far-right National Rally party.

The election ended the long dominance of the scandal-tainted Smer-Social Democracy, a left-of-centre party led by former Prime Minister Robert Fico.