Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has offered his resignation. If President Andrei Kiska accepts request for resignation, Fico will leave his office on Thursday, he said according to news agency TASR. One condition is that his Social Democratic Party, Smer, retains right to propose a successor.

Slovakia has been in a government crisis since murder of investigative journalists Ján Kuciak at end of February. Fico was also under pressure after his name appeared in Kuciaks last research. Tens of thousands demanded his resignation on Friday. This coming Monday, Fico would have had to make a vote. The Bureau of National Council in Bratislava had set this date. What comes out of vote is still unclear.

A reelection, which could be scheduled at earliest in June, will explicitly prevent FICO. The Slovak Republic will plunge into "chaos" when opposition comes to government, Fico warned. According to media reports, an interim government of officials would also be eligible. According to a report by Slovak newspaper SME, former vice-head of government Peter Pellegrini could take over Fico's office.

As a result of murder of Kuciak, two ministers had already resigned. At end of February, Minister of Culture Marek Maďarič returned, on Monday to pressure from opposition and public also Interior Minister Robert Kaliňák. Last Friday, tens of thousands had demonstrated against government in Bratislava.

Ján Kuciak and his fiancée Martina Kusnirova were shot on February 25th in Kuciaks apartment. The background of act is still unclear, but police assume that it is related to Kuciaks journalistic work. Lastly, he had researched connections of Italian mafia to highest government circles, and alleged misconduct of entrepreneurs who are to be close to Fico's Social Democrat party Smer.

Date Of Update: 15 March 2018, 12:02