Without wasting a second after the government failed a confidence vote yesterday, spelling the end of its short 13 months in power, opposition leader Robert Fico is already in talks with the heads of the three coalition parties that did vote yesterday.
Fico is holding talks at a secret location this afternoon with head of PM Radicova’s SDKU party, Mikulas Dzurinda, head of the Christian democrats KDH, Jan Figel, and head of the pro-Hungarian minority party Most-Hid, Bela Bugar. Robert Fico talks hard and plays hard when it comes to negotiations and we can be sure that he knew what to bargain for in the talks even long before yesterday’s predictable vote.
The most likely outcome would be if President Ivan Gasparovic allowed Fico to attempt to establish his own cabinet, as he would be in office only until the end of the remaining term of the coalition. Fico and his Smer-SD party would probably prefer elections, though, as they would probably end up with even more seats in parliament and not need anyone for a majority.
Until a new cabinet is installed, the current coalition will keep the show going, but it looks certain that changes will be made, i.e. PM Radicova will probably encourage the President to recall all the SaS party ministers and their leader Richard Sulik from his post as parliamentary speaker.