Democracy Digest: Slovakia’s Political and Judicial ‘Storm’

Although the number of cases is small compared with other countries, the outgoing government of Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini, who has doubled as health minister for the past few months, has introduced widespread prevention measures.

These include the closure of all schools and universities, compulsory quarantine for people travelling from abroad and a ban on mass events, including church services. Sport leagues have shut down. Visits to hospitals and retirement homes have been curtailed.

On Thursday afternoon, the government announced the closure of airports and restrictions on international travel, including border controls.

The coronavirus crisis comes at a time of transition and instability, with a new parliament elected but a cabinet yet to be formed.

Matovic, the man most likely to be Slovakia's next prime minister, asked to be invited to crisis staff meetings. On Thursday, he criticised the outgoing cabinet for not coming up with a concrete plan to fight the spread of the virus.

He also proposed a way to beef up the 14-day quarantine period for people returning from China, Italy, South Korea or Iran, the countries worst hit by coronavirus.

"Telecommunication operators are willing to send daily messages to all the people who have been to the affected countries, to remind them to stay at home and give them all the additional information they might need," he said at a press conference. 

Igor Matovic, leader of the Ordinary People and Independent Personalities party, meets with Slovak President Zuzana Caputova on March 4, 2020. Matovic was officially tasked with forming a new government. Photo: EPA-EFE/JAKUB GAVLAK

Forming a government

President Zuzana Caputova formally asked Matovic to form a new government...