President Ivan Gasparovic appoints new Slovak government led by 1st female prime minister

Published November 17, 2014

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — Slovakia's president appointed a new center-right government Friday, led by the country's first female prime minister.

Iveta Radicova, deputy chairman of the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union, leads a four-party coalition that holds 79 seats in the 150-seat Parliament after June 12 elections.

Her party teamed up with the Christian Democrats, the pro-business Freedom and Solidarity and a party of ethnic Hungarians.

The four parties — previously in the opposition — have pledged to improve Slovakia's business environment, reduce the deficit and fight corruption.

Among the 13 ministers is former Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda — Radicova's party chairman — whose free-market reforms earned the country NATO and EU membership.

Dzurinda has become the new foreign minister. His Finance Minister Ivan Miklos has taken over the post again.

Radicova, who served as Labor Minister under Dzurinda, led the party in the election.

Last year, she ran for the presidency but Ivan Gasparovic defeated her in the runoff.

One of the new government's first tasks will be to vote on the country's participation in a 750 billion euro ($1 trillion) rescue fund agreed by EU leaders in May.

The fund is aimed at soothing jittery markets by creating a financial backstop for euro states that risk default. Slovakia's share is one percent.

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