Slovakia's parliament has re-confirmed Deputy Premier for the Economy Ivan Miklos, after an opposition call for his removal.

The failure of the no-confidence vote early Thursday helped avoid a government crisis. Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda Wednesday vowed to resign if parliament approved the opposition motion against Mr. Miklos.

The opposition, led by the HZDS party of former Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar, which governed Slovakia for most of the 1990s, blames Mr. Miklos' austerity policies for high unemployment and economic slowdown.

Mr. Miklos survived a similar challenge last May when opposition lawmakers demanded his resignation over the slow pace of economic reform.

Some information for this report provided by AFP and Reuters.

Email this article to a friend
Printer Friendly Version