Timeline of Peter Pellegrini's History with Smer-SD
Bratislava, June 10 (TASR) – Former prime minister Peter Pellegrini, 44, who was Smer-SD’s election leader in the February general election, announced that he’s leaving the party on Wednesday. On this occasion, TASR presents a timeline of his history with Smer.
2000
Peter Pellegrini joins Smer (‘Direction’), founded by eventual three-times prime minister Robert Fico in late 1999 as a ‘Third Way’ party. (Smer adds ‘SD’ standing for social democracy, to its name, after a shift towards the left and the swallowing up of other three leftist parties in 2004.)
2002-2006
Peter Pellegrini acts as assistant to Smer MP Lubomir Vazny (who would later, in 2006-10, serve as transport minister).
2006
Pellegrini elected as an MP in the general election in June.
2010
Pellegrini re-elected to Parliament in the June general election.
2012
Following a snap election in March, Pellegrini becomes deputy finance minister.
2014
JUNE – Pellegrini elected as the party’s vice-chairman.
JULY – Pellegrini becomes education minister after the resignation of Smer’s Dusan Caplovic.
NOVEMBER – Pellegrini becomes chairman of Parliament after the resignation of Pavol Paska (Smer-SD).
2016
After the general election in March, Pellegrini is installed as deputy prime minister for investment and informatisation.
2018
MARCH 7 – Pellegrini becomes interim culture minister after the resignation of Marek Madaric (Smer-SD) in response to a political crisis that emerged in the country after the murders of journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancée in late February.
MARCH 15 – Pellegrini tasked by then president Andrej Kiska with setting up a new government after the resignation of Fico’s third government.
MARCH 22 – Pellegrini appointed as prime minister by Kiska.
2019
DECEMBER – Apart from serving as prime minister, Pellegrini also becomes interim health minister after the resignation of Andrea Kalavska (a Smer nominee) and remains in this post until the end of the electoral term.
2020
FEBRUARY – Smer with Pellegrini as its election leader loses the general election, but he personally receives the second highest number of personal preferential votes, far more than Fico.
MARCH – Pellegrini’s government resigns after its election defeat, with Pellegrini elected parliamentary vice-chairman for Smer.
