In Slovakia, the four-party government finally collapsed on Monday with the resignation of the ministers of the liberal party "Freedom and Solidarity" (SaS).
Prime Minister Eduard Heger wants to continue with a minority government.
Heger can draw on the conservative Ordinary People and Independent Personalities (OLaNO) party, of which he is a member, the remaining coalition partners We Are One Family (Sme Rodina) and For the People, and, to a limited extent, on individual non-attached MPs.
The conservative can thus draw on the support of around 73 out of 150 seats in parliament in Pressburg (Bratislava).
Stephen Lowenstein
Political correspondent based in Vienna.
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The government could possibly work until the regular election date of 2024.
Because: For the time being, no vote of confidence is necessary and only the majority of the MPs present is required to pass laws.
However, the opposition, led by former Prime Minister Robert Fico, is pushing for new elections.
Fico, whose Social Democratic Party was voted out of office in 2020 under the impression of massive allegations of corruption and corruption, has sharply criticized the government for, among other things, solidarity with Ukraine and approval of EU sanctions against Russia.
Dispute over the finance minister
The coalition dispute was sparked by the person of OLaNO chairman Igor Matovič, who had to give way as prime minister last year because of his solo efforts and now holds the post of finance minister.
This summer, Matovič pushed through a multi-billion dollar family package – with the help of far-right opposition MPs because the SaS refused to approve it.
SaS boss Richard Sulík has been calling for Matovič's resignation as finance minister since July.
The lapse of the August 31 deadline originally set by Sulík gradually made things seem like a farce, and the break actually followed on Monday.
However, it is uncertain whether the SaS would also vote for new elections.