The leaders of the successful parties in the elections, Smer-SSD, Hlas-SD and SNS, took part in the first joint meeting. Andrej Danko, leader of the SNS, said that negotiations on a possible future government had progressed, but that no agreement had been announced yet. According to Andrej Danko, the whole process is being slowed down by negotiations between the leader of Hlas-SD, Peter Pellegrini, and the leader of Progressive Slovakia, Michal Simecka. The head of the SNS added that the party would not make its participation in the government conditional on any position.
"If the SNS or Slovak National Party is going to be in the government, we want our place. On the other hand, I can no longer help Fico. I believe that Pellegrini has understood that the leader of Smer-SD, Robert Fico, holds the post of prime minister and that the leader of Hlas-SD can be speaker of parliament. I am not pushing for any position."
On Friday (6 October), several media reported that a new coalition government is likely to be formed by Smer, Hlas and SNS. Fico is expected to become prime minister and Pellegrini speaker of parliament. Fico said most of the reports about the state of negotiations were false. Danko said over the weekend that the SNS would support any government with Fico as prime minister, even if the party was not in the government. Robert Fico was given the mandate to form a government as the leader of the strongest party in the elections. President Zuzanan Caputova gave him 14 days to do it. If he fails to do so, the second largest party - Progresivne Slovensko - will form the government. The party's leader, Michal Simecka, is ready to hand over the prime minister's post to Peter Pellegrini in order to form a four-way coalition. He has not yet commented on this.
Source: RTVS, TASR
