Slovakia's political crisis

The murder of investigative journalist Ján Kuciak has triggered a serious political crisis in Slovakia. The situation has escalated to Robert Fico insinuating that president Andrej Kiska is part of a foreign campaign orchestrated by George Soros to destabilise the government. The evidence? That Kiska met with Soros in New York last September, and that there have been large public gatherings last week to protest corruption, culminating in street vigils after Kuciak's funeral over the the week-end. Kuciak's last incomplete investigation, published after his death, has revealed ties between Slovak government officials and the Italian 'ndrangheta.

Back in the real world, one of Robert Fico's junior coalition partners, the Hungarian minority party Most-Hid (Bridge), had already asked for the resignation of interior minister and deputy PM Robert Kalinák, and also that of the chief of police. After Kalinák refused to step down, Most-Hid gave until next Monday when they say they will reconsider their role in the government. In the meantime the other coalition partner, the far-right Slovak national party SNS, also asked for Kalinák's resignation. On Sunday President Andrej Kiska said he was not satisfied with the content of a meeting he had with Fico to discuss the situation, and that the crisis of public trust in the government could only be resolved by a deep government reshuffle or new elections. Fico's immediate reaction was to say that Kiska was overstepping his functions, as the president does not have the power to force new elections. But yesterday he doubled down by playing the Soros card.

The one resignation that did take place was that of culture minister, Marek Mad'arik, who was embarrassed that a journalist was murdered during his tenure. But the minister responsible for people not being murdered is the interior minister, not the culture minister. Mad'arik, who is also a member of Fico's party Smer, is quoted as saying that the resignation of Kalinák might have calmed things down last week, but that the situation now requires a reshuffle.