World News | Slovak PM forms new party ahead of early vote

BRATISLAVA (Slovakia), March 7 (AP) — Prime Minister Eduard Heger said Tuesday he is creating a new centrist party ahead of Slovakia’s snap election in September.

The name of the new party is the Democratic Party. The move means Hegel is leaving the ordinary people’s political movement led by former populist prime minister Igor Matovic.

Read also | Plane crash in Italy: Pilot dies after two Italian Air Force planes collide in mid-air near Guidonia military airfield during exercises (watch video).

Heger’s statement came after his coalition government lost a no-confidence vote in parliament in December.

The opposition called for an early vote after months of political crisis. President Zuzana Caputová has asked Hegel’s cabinet to remain a caretaker government but with reduced powers.

Read also | Dog’s ‘fur’ grew on woman’s face after pet animal bit off her nose in vicious US attack

In January, parliament set early voting for 30 September. According to recent opinion polls, the opposition has a good chance of winning the early vote.

Haig’s government has been donating weapons to Ukraine’s armed forces while opening its borders to refugees fleeing the war in Russia.

Some current opposition leaders, including former populist Prime Minister Robert Fico, oppose military support for Ukraine and EU sanctions on Russia.

Four ministers from Hegel’s government, including Foreign Minister Rustislav Kassel and Defense Minister Yaroslav Nader, also joined the party.

“We offer professionalism and reject populism,” said Hegel, whose non-parliamentary party Together has also become part of his Democratic Party.

Ordinary people won the 2020 parliamentary elections, and Matovic created a four-party coalition government that collapsed the following year amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Despite differences among his coalition partners, Matovic was forced to resign as prime minister after he orchestrated a secret deal to buy 2 million doses of the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine.

The same four parties formed the new government under Hegel. (Associated Press)

(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)