What Robert Fico needs to answer for before he tries to become Slovakia's Prime Minister again

Robert Fico has a mixed record as a politician. He chose to ally with failed politicians of the past, and has associated the Slovak left with nationalism..

He is very popular for all the wrong reasons, and he needs to show much more statesmanship


New government for Slovakia by March 2012

Slovak PM Iveta Radicova (left) with Angela Merkel (German Chancellor)
It may feel like a long time from now, but by March 2012 Slovakia will have a new a government.

Well placed observers believe that the country will be led by a grand coalition of the left and the right, a bit like Ms Merkel's coalition with the SPD in Germany. 

The female PM Ms Radicova is not likely to stay. It is hard to say whether the real instrument of her downfall was her fractious coalition ally.

The challenges of the global situation necessitate national unity and resolve.