23 March 2016: New Slovak government sworn in
The new government led by Robert Fico has been sworn in on 23 March 2016. Robert Fico managed to finish coalition talks following the troubled Parliamentary elections on 5 March that splintered the political landscape. This means the Prime Minister and leader of the social democrat Smer-SD party will be able to continue his third term in office. The coalition partners surprisingly include both the nationalist Slovak National Party (SNS) that disrespects minority rights as well as the liberal conservative Most HíD that fights for the rights of the Hungarian minority. Furthermore the small and new centrist party SIET is part of the coalition.
The fast formation of the coalition was unexpected as the elections led to a splintered Parliament, with several new parties, one of them being a neo-Nazi party. The elections were also characterised by increased polarisation between parties, and there was fierce anti-refugee rhetoric. Supposedly the fast formation was due to the fact Slovakia is to hold the next rotating presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half year. Robert Fico is now the second longest sitting Prime Minister, after German Chancellor Angela Merkel, ruling since 2006 (although briefly interrupted in 2011-2012).
