PM Heger admits Slovakia is 'in chaos', blames crises and his own failings

Acting Prime Minister Eduard Heger (Demokrati) has admitted that Slovakia is in "a serious crisis, a crisis of chaos", but has called on President Zuzana Čaputová not to appoint a technocratic government. He made the comments during and unscheduled address broadcast by public broadcaster RTVS last night.

The message came hours after Heger's Agriculture Minister Samuel Vlčan announced his resignation following a scandal involving EU subsidies.

In his address on Thursday evening, Heger blamed recent crises, including the war in Ukraine and high inflation – and, in part, himself – for the chaos that Slovakia has been enduring. Still, Heger does not plan to stand down and wants to lead the country into the forthcoming parliamentary elections.

Hours after he delivered his message, Heger's foreign minister, Rastislav Káčer, criticised Heger for his address on Facebook. Heger has paved the way for the president to appoint a technocratic government, he added.

"Utter stupidity," he wrote.