UK Edition
Slovakia appoints new prime minister amid political crisis over murder of investigative journalist
Slovakia’s president has appointed a new prime minister a week after the previous government fell in a crisis precipitated by the murder of an investigative journalist and his fiancée.
President Andrej Kiska appointed Peter Pellegrini as a replacement for Robert Fico, who was brought down amid allegations of links between politicians and Italy’s ‘Ndrangheta mafia, which has established a presence in the former Communist country.
Earlier this week the president rejected an initial cabinet line-up presented by Mr Pellegrini, but he relented on Thursday after a new candidate for interior minister was put forward.
The post will be filled by Tomas Drucker, a former health minister with extensive experience of crisis management.
It will be his task to oversee the investigation into the murder of Jan Kuciak, who was investigating links between organized crime and politicians when he was gunned down with his 27-year-old girlfriend, Martina Kusnirova, at their home outside Bratislava, the capital.
He reported that a former topless model, who was made a senior adviser to Mr Fico as prime minister, had been the lover and business partner of an alleged ‘Ndrangheta mafia boss living in Slovakia.
The alleged mafioso, Antonino Vadala, was arrested in Slovakia last week on drug trafficking charges.
Tens of thousands of Slovaks have taken to the street in the past three weeks, in the biggest demonstrations the country has seen since the Velvet Revolution of 1989, when it was part of Czechoslovakia.
One of their principal demands is the appointment of a credible interior minister and a robust, independent investigation into the murders.
The previous interior minister, Robert Kalinak, resigned last week over the corruption scandal and the journalist’s murder.
“Drucker is a crisis manager. He’s worked at the Slovakian post office and the health ministry. He’s definitely a better choice than Kalinak, but let’s not expect miracles. I can think of better candidates, but this represents progress to a degree,” Michal Vasecka, the head of the Bratislava Policy Institute, told The Telegraph.
Protesters have been calling for a clean sweep and new elections.
They will stage the fourth consecutive week of mass demonstrations on Friday.
Many believe there is scant chance of a vigorous investigation under Mr Pellegrini, 42, who is a member of Mr Fico’s Smer-Social Democracy party and was hand-picked by him as his replacement.
The president said he had some misgivings about the new government, which is composed of the three parties who were in the previous coalition, but had reached the limit of his presidential powers in terms of what he could demand.
"Mr Pellegrini's cabinet will ask parliament for confidence, but more importantly he will have to fight for public trust. Given the current tense atmosphere, it will be a very difficult task," President Kiska said.
No one has yet been charged for the murder of Mr Kuciak and his fiancée.