Slovakia now has its caretaker government in place after President Ivan Gasparovic made it official yesterday by recalling PM Iveta Radicova and her cabinet and then re-appointing them to administer the country’s affairs until the March 2012 elections.
The tactical move was made possible thanks to a swift plugging of a loophole in the Constitution, pushed through parliament on Friday and endorsed by the President on Monday, but Radicova and company will have their powers limited in many ways.
The President will basically oversee the passing of laws and decide on them individually, and the interim government is not allowed to deal with key economic and social issues, for instance, although it does hold the power to declare war, if necessary.