When members of parliament stay away from a no-confidence vote against their party leader because they don't want to express their confidence in him, and thus help him remain a member of the government, that says a lot about the political situation.

That's what happened on Tuesday in the Slovak Parliament in Pressburg (Bratislava), where Finance Minister Igor Matovič was at stake.

The vote on a motion of no confidence against him was postponed twice last week.

Stephen Lowenstein

Political correspondent based in Vienna.

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This time it resulted in a relative majority for no confidence (73 votes to 45), but not the required absolute majority of the 150 MPs.

Those from his own ranks who did not want to vote for or against him either stayed away or abstained.

In addition, three non-attached members straying to the right kept Matovič in office, which was ultimately decisive.

Given the chaos, it is uncertain what the consequences of a majority for the motion would have been.

In any case, the minority government can continue for the time being.

verbal abuse of the finance minister

After the elections in early 2020, Matovič initially led the government, which originally consisted of four parties, as the leader of the strongest party.

But the party leaders, who had strong egos, soon quarreled, especially since Matovič tends to use his own authority and use a rude tone.

In 2021 he had to cede the office of prime minister to his party friend Eduard Heger, and this summer the liberal SaS left the coalition.

Its chairman, Richard Sulík, was instrumental in initiating the vote of no confidence.

Matovič first delayed the vote with an hour-long speech peppered with verbal abuse against his opponents, President Zuzana Čaputová and journalists in general.

Then a fainting fit from an Olano MP prevented the vote.

At the weekend, Matovič half apologised, half meeting demands from his fellow party members.

Heger expressed relief: "Slovakia now has other priorities, namely getting its citizens and companies through the biggest energy crisis since World War II." Meanwhile, Matovič was in Brussels on Tuesday.

He called EU decisions that also include funds for Slovakia "a middle finger in the bloodshot eyes of the vengeful SaS".