After Murder and Protests, Slovak Leaders Struggle to Keep Power
After Murder and Protests, Slovak Leaders Struggle to Keep Power
By MIROSLAVA GERMANOVA and MARC SANTORAMARCH 12, 2018
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — Trying to maintain its grip on power, Slovakia’s governing party announced on Monday
that the interior minister would step down, and pledged a thorough investigation into the killing of a young journalist who was investigating government corruption in the small Central European nation.
It was unclear whether the moves would be enough to salvage the government of Prime Minister Robert Fico
and his party, SMER-SD, coming days after tens of thousands of people took to the streets, many of them calling for Mr. Fico to resign.
His coalition partner, the party Most-Hid, had demanded the resignation of the interior minister, Robert Kalinak, who oversees the police
and was widely seen as an impediment to a thorough investigation into the killing.
“I made this decision because I see, hear and feel.”
He said that the killings of the journalist Jan Kuciak
and his fiancée, Martina Kusnirova, whose bodies were found on Feb. 25, were being investigated by the biggest team assembled in the country’s history to look into a homicide.
Leaders of two junior partners in the governing coalition, Most-Hid
and SNS, met Monday with President Kiska to talk about the future of the country and ways to restore public trust.
For the past two weeks, since investigators said it was likely
that Mr. Kuciak was killed because of his work, there have been calls for Mr. Kalinak to resign over a case that has gripped the nation’s attention.
By MIROSLAVA GERMANOVA and MARC SANTORAMARCH 12, 2018
BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — Trying to maintain its grip on power, Slovakia’s governing party announced on Monday
that the interior minister would step down, and pledged a thorough investigation into the killing of a young journalist who was investigating government corruption in the small Central European nation.
It was unclear whether the moves would be enough to salvage the government of Prime Minister Robert Fico
and his party, SMER-SD, coming days after tens of thousands of people took to the streets, many of them calling for Mr. Fico to resign.
His coalition partner, the party Most-Hid, had demanded the resignation of the interior minister, Robert Kalinak, who oversees the police
and was widely seen as an impediment to a thorough investigation into the killing.
“I made this decision because I see, hear and feel.”
He said that the killings of the journalist Jan Kuciak
and his fiancée, Martina Kusnirova, whose bodies were found on Feb. 25, were being investigated by the biggest team assembled in the country’s history to look into a homicide.
Leaders of two junior partners in the governing coalition, Most-Hid
and SNS, met Monday with President Kiska to talk about the future of the country and ways to restore public trust.
For the past two weeks, since investigators said it was likely
that Mr. Kuciak was killed because of his work, there have been calls for Mr. Kalinak to resign over a case that has gripped the nation’s attention.