On Wednesday, Slovakia’s President Peter Pellegrini officially appointed Samuel Migaľ as the new minister of investments and regional development, finalizing a significant cabinet reshuffle aimed at preserving the parliamentary majority of the current government.
This strategic appointment follows an agreement among the three parties within the governing coalition, which includes the Smer (Direction) party led by populist Prime Minister Robert Fico, the Hlas (Voice) party, and the ultranationalist and pro-Russian Slovak National Party. As part of this coalition deal, the two junior partners surrendered control of one ministry each to bolster Smer’s influence within the government.
With this reshuffle, Smer now holds a total of nine ministries, encompassing critical areas such as investments, regional development, information, tourism, and sports. In contrast, the Hlas party maintains authority over six ministries while the Slovak National Party retains control of two.
This coalition realignment was deemed necessary to address a recent political crisis that posed a threat to the stability and parliamentary majority of the government. By consolidating power within Smer, the coalition aims to enhance governance and effectively navigate the challenges it faces.
