Politics of Slovakia

Things had all seemed so different a year ago.

No government in Slovak history has faced challenges like those confronting the new administration led by Matovic and his anti-establishment OLANO party. Along with the deadly virus, it has the contagion of decades of corruption to content with.

"Please believe me, as I stand here, that together with other leaders of democratic parties, we will try to create the best government Slovakia has ever had," Matovic said on Sunday morning.

Two years after the brutal murder of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée shocked the country, parliamentary elections have brought palpable change to Slovakia.

A new coalition of Slovak progressive parties have swept to victory in elections for the European Parliament, defeating both the ruling SMER-SD party and an active campaign from the far-right.

The PS/SPOLU coalition of pro-EU parties won 20.11 per cent of the vote, winning four of Slovakia's 13 seats.

Romanian Foreign Minister Teodor Melescanu (C) talks to Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva (L), and Slovakian Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak during an European Foreign Affairs Ministers meeting at the European Council headquarters in Brussels on Jan. 21. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

The Eurosceptic Slovak National Party (SNP) announced it was leaving the three-party ruling coalition. Party leader Andrei Danko, who is also chairman of the parliament, said the SNP is leaving the coalition because of the need to sign a new coalition agreement.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has called for lifting of EU sanctions against Russia, introduced over the Ukraine crisis.

"Sanctions have not helped anyone. Russia is not our problem. Our main problem is what is going to happen to the EU," Fico told TA3 TV, according to TASS.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has referred to reporters as "dirty, anti-Slovak prostitutes," when asked about corruption allegations.

The questions that provoked the outburst concerned claims that his government broke public procurement rules, RT is reporting on Thursday.

Slovakia's leftist Prime Minister Robert Fico said March 6 that he would begin difficult coalition talks after he won elections on an anti-refugee platform but lost his parliamentary majority as smaller parties, including the extreme right, scored first-time seats.

Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico's personal assistant, Maria Troskova, is pretty much his right hand when it comes to the administrative burdens faced by a head of state. The 28-year-old has a number of assets that can be seen both on and off her CV and for this reason the Slovakian PM chose her to keep him abreast of the political situation.