Slovakia’s four centre-right parties have reached an agreement on divvying up government ministries, prime minister-designate Iveta Radičová of the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ) told journalists after a coalition meeting on Monday, June 28, the TASR newswire reported.
SDKÚ is to control the most ministries, including the finance, education, foreign affairs and justice ministries and, most importantly, the prime minister’s post. Freedom and Solidarity party (SaS) will assume responsibility for the defence, labour, culture and economy ministries. The Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) will assume responsibility for the interior, health and transport ministries. Béla Bugár's Most-Híd party is to receive the agriculture and environment ministries along with the post of deputy prime minister for human rights and minorities.
The coalition quartet also agreed that SaS will have the right to nominate the Speaker of Parliament. The three other coalition parties will have one Deputy Speaker of Parliament each, with the fourth such position going to Smer party, the highest vote-getter in the opposition. The governing coalition will nominate ten parliamentary committee chairs and the opposition will have nine.
“Just as we’ve changed our opinion regarding the powers of the Deputy Prime Minister for Human Rights and Minorities, we’ll also change the powers of the Transport Ministry – namely, we’ll shift authorities within construction, regional development and tourism from the economy and culture ministries and the Government Office to the Transport Ministry,” Radičová told TASR.
She also said most ministries will have only one state secretary, who will be from the same party as the minister. The only exception will be the Finance Ministry and the new Transport Ministry. Candidates for the individual ministerial posts have not been discussed yet, said Radičová.
Source: TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
