Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic asked Robert Fico, whose Smer party won the elections last week, to form a new government.

Gasparovic gave Fico the mandate in Bratislava, Slovakia’s capital, during a broadcast live on state television.

Fico’s Smer may rule without a partner after it took 83 of parliament’s 150 seats in the March 10 vote. The party won the elections on pledges to support poorer citizens while raising taxes for the top earners and most profitable companies.

To contact the reporter on this story: Radoslav Tomek in Bratislava at rtomek@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: James M. Gomez at jagomez@bloomberg.net