Slovakia rejects enhanced bail-out fund, government falls

Slovakia's lawmakers have rejected a revamp of the eurozone's European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) rescue fund in a crunch vote that also toppled the country's centre-right government which had staked its future on the motion.

the Telegraph,

11 October, 2011

Only 55 of 124 lawmakers present in the room voted in favour, while nine were against and 60 did not vote, effectively blocking the fund and toppling the four-party coalition cabinet of Prime Minister Iveta Radicova.

The country's leaders said earlier they would try to pass the EFSF revamp in a repeated vote with support from the opposition, but no date has been fixed for that vote yet.

"What we are deciding on today is the good name of Slovakia, reliability, where it will belong... or if we exclude ourselves from the community of the successful," Prime Minister Iveta Radicova said ahead of the vote.

"I beg you, trust this government... the interests and reliability of Slovakia are the most valuable things I know, I have, I offer," she added, her voice trembling with emotion.

Slovakia's leftist opposition Smer-SD said Tuesday it was ready to team up with the outgoing government to vote in favour of the eurozone EFSF rescue fund in exchange for a snap election

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