BRATISLAVA (Reuters) -Slovak President Zuzana Caputova appointed Ludovit Odor prime minister on Monday, tasking his cabinet with leading the country to an early election in September.
Odor, 46, is a respected, politically independent economist coming from the euro zone country’s central bank board. His appointment follows the collapse of a centre-right coalition that ruled since the last election in 2020.
Slovakia, a European Union and NATO member, has struggled through months of political uncertainty as Eduard Heger’s ruling coalition was weakened by defections and infighting during a period of high inflation and war in neighbouring Ukraine.
Odor studied mathematics and management but has spent most of his career in economic positions in the public sector.
He took part in preparing the country for its entry to the euro zone in 2009, and helped set up an analytical department at the Finance Ministry as well as the country’s budget council.
He was on the central bank’s board in 2006-2010, returning as vice-governor in 2018. He was also adviser to a centre-right prime minister in 2012-2012.
Michal Horvath, the Slovak central bank’s chief economist, was appointed as finance minister.
(Reporting by Radovan Stoklasa, writing by Jan Lopatka; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
