Slovakia ratifies eurozone bailout fund

Slovakia on Thursday became the last of the 17-member eurozone to ratify an increase in the EFSF bailout fund to 440 billion euros ($600 billion). A total of 114 of 146 lawmakers present voted in favour of boosting the EFSF and giving it additional tools to stop the spread of the eurozone debt crisis. The country held a second ratification vote after a failed attempt to push it through parliament on Tuesday also toppled the centre-right government. Before the vote, the parliament approved holding an early election on March 10 next year -- a condition set by the opposition for voting in favour of the EFSF. The first vote failed Tuesday after the outgoing centre-right government lost the support of a junior coalition party that argued that the eurozone's second-poorest member shouldn't have to foot the bill for bailing out richer countries. The government of Iveta Radicova, the country's first female prime minister, lost its 79-seat majority in the 150-seat parliament and had to team up with the leftist opposition powerhouse Smer-SD of former prime minister Robert Fico, commanding 62 seats, for the second vote.