Fico, leader of the Direction – Social Democracy party (Smer-SD) that came first in parliamentary elections over the weekend, arrived from Brussels after the EU-Turkey migration summit that extended late into Monday.
"The meeting was postponed until Wednesday at the request of Robert Fico. The President will instruct the chairman of the victorious Smer-SD party to form the republic’s new government," President’s Office representative Martin Liptak said in comments broadcast by RTVS.
Slovak media speculated the rescheduled meeting had more to do with Monday’s unanimous refusal among leaders of five parties entering the new parliament to join the ruling coalition with Smer-SD.
Freedom and Solidarity center-right party leader Richard Sulik, with second-place 21 seats gained, expressed willingness to enter talks with other factions should Fico’s attempts to form a coalition government failed.
European officials expressed concern with the fifth-place finish of the extreme right-wing People’s Party – Our Slovakia, propped up by growing anti-migrant and euroskeptic sentiment across Europe.
