Slovakia’s political crisis escalated on Tuesday after the president rejected a proposed new government on the grounds that it was not fit to investigate the death of an investigative journalist that toppled the previous administration.

The head of state was concerned that the candidate for interior minister is not independent enough to lead the inquiry into the death of Jan Kuciak and his fiancée.

The shooting of the reporter, who had been investigating alleged ties between senior politicians and a mob boss from Italy’s feared ‘Ndrangheta mafia, plunged the central European country into crisis and last week brought down the prime minister, Robert Fico.

Mr Fico, who had governed for 10 of the last 12 years, was replaced by Peter Pellegrini, a member of the same party.

Mr Pellegrini, the prime minister-designate, presented his proposed cabinet, which involved the same three parties that were in the previous coalition, but it was rejected by Andrej Kiska, the president.