Slovakia’s technocrat government loses mandatory confidence vote, to stay till September snap vote

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia (AP) — Slovakia’s new government of technocrats has lost a mandatory confidence vote in Parliament. President Zuzana Caputova, who swore in the 15-member Cabinet on May 15, now has to dismiss it. At the same time, the president is set to ask the government to stay in office with limited powers till the Sept. 30 snap election. The current government was meant to lead the country to the early vote. Of the 136 lawmakers present in the 150-seat Parliament, the government was defeated in a 34-43 vote. The pro-Russian opposition is favored by polls to win the early election.