Slovak leaders fail to agree on EU bailout fund

By Karel Janicek

Associated Press

Published: Monday, Oct. 10 2011 11:05 a.m. MDT

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Slovakia's Freedom and Solidarity Party chairman Richard Sulik leaves a press conference in Bratislava, Slovakia, Monday, Oct. 10, 2011. The Slovak governing coalition was meeting on Monday in an effort to strike a last-minute deal to prevent a collapse of a continentwide plan to rescue heavily indebted European nations. But the outcome of the Slovak parliamentary vote is uncertain because a junior member of the four-party governing coalition is strictly opposed to boosting the fund.

Petr David Josek, Associated Press

Summary

Slovakia's governing coalition has failed to strike a deal to prevent the collapse of a continentwide plan to rescue heavily indebted European nations.

BRATISLAVA, Slovakia — Slovakia's governing coalition has failed to strike a deal to prevent the collapse of a continentwide plan to rescue heavily indebted European nations.

Prime Minister Iveta Radicova said her four-party coalition, which met for three hours Monday, was unable to agree on a compromise deal.

But she says the coalition's talks will continue Tuesday, the day Slovakia's Parliament is scheduled to vote on the EU bailout fund.

Slovakia, a tiny nation of 5.5 million, would contribute about one percent or €7.7 billion and be one of the last eurozone countries to vote on the fund's expansion.

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