Slovakia's technocrat government fails to win confidence vote

BELGRADE, Serbia

Slovakia's technocrat government lost a vote of confidence in parliament on Thursday, only a month after taking office.

The interim government led by Prime Minister Ludovit Odor, a respected economist, received the support of only 34 of the 150 deputies.

Odor's government, which consists of 16 bureaucrats, will remain in office until elections on Sept. 30, despite losing the confidence vote.

Slovakia has been suffering political instability for a long time.

The tripartite coalition government led by Prime Minister Eduard Heger lost its majority in parliament after the Freedom and Solidarity party withdrew and failed to win a vote of confidence held in December 2022.

President Zuzana Caputova decided to form a technocratic government after Heger resigned on May 7.

Caputova commissioned a provisional government headed by Odor to lead the country to elections.