BRATISLAVA – BRATISLAVA, SlovakiaFormer Slovak Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini announced Wednesday a plan to leave his leftist party to establish a new center-left political organization.Pellegrini has been deputy chairman of the Smer-Social Democracy party, which had dominated Slovakia's politics since 2006 before being ousted from power by a center-right party in the February parliamentary election.His move was expected.
He has clashed with the party chairman, former Premier Robert Fico, over the scandal-tainted party’s future following the disappointing loss in the election.The result sent Smer to the opposition while a new four-party coalition government took over.Pellegrini became the prime minister after Fico’s coalition government.