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Slovakia's minority government got a breather today after lawmakers postponed a planned no-confidence vote by two days, Reuters reported.

The postponement gives Prime Minister Eduard Heger time to find support or negotiate another alternative, including early elections.

An early vote before regular elections in 2024 could affect Slovakia's support for Ukraine, especially if it brings to power the poll-leading left-wing opposition, which has criticized Bratislava's military aid to Kiev.

The coalition led by Heger took power in Slovakia two years ago, but has been weakened after one of its partner parties left in September.

If the vote of no confidence passes, it does not mean the immediate dissolution of the government, but it will negatively affect the policies it pursues.

Heger has already suffered a setback in his attempts to win support from Slovak lawmakers for the country's draft budget for next year, which included new spending to ease the effects of rising energy prices for households and businesses.

Opposition parties, including the liberal Freedom and Solidarity, which left the ruling coalition in September, tabled the no-confidence motion after accusing the government of not doing enough to help people cope with rising energy prices.

Vote of no confidence in Slovakia

Freedom and Solidarity's withdrawal of confidence came after months of friction between its chairman and now former economy minister Richard Sulik and Heger's Ordinary People and Independents party leader Igor Matovic, who is also finance minister. 

Opponents of the government must secure at least 76 votes in the 150-member Slovak parliament to oust Prime Minister Eduard Heger.

He said the government should survive the expected spike in energy prices in January after the fixed tariff period ends.

If the government falls, Slovakian President Zuzana Czaputova will be faced with the choice of leaving it in power for a while or appointing a new, possibly technocratic, cabinet.

According to the leader of the opposition center-left party "Smer - Social Democracy" Robert Fitso, the only solution to the crisis is early elections in early 2023, notes BTA.

confidence vote

Slovakia