Slovakia’s embattled prime minister offered to resign on Wednesday amid a wave of popular anger over corruption and the murder of an investigative journalist.

Robert Fico has been under intense pressure to step down since Jan Kuciak and his fiancée were shot dead in their home outside the capital, Bratislava, last month.

Mr Kuciak, 27, had been investigating alleged links between government figures and the ‘Ndrangheta, the powerful Italian mafia based in the southern region of Calabria.

"Today I have offered my resignation to the president of the republic," the prime minister announced. "If the president accepts it, I am ready to resign tomorrow."

His offer came with one key condition – that his party be allowed to choose his successor.