Junior coalition party Hlas-SD is requesting from Prime Minister Robert Fico a meeting of coalition leaders to resolve problems brewing within the coalition without delay, Hlas-SD leader Matus Sutaj Estok declared after a session of the party leadership on Tuesday.
Sutaj Estok reiterated his criticism of statements made by coalition SNS chair Andrej Danko against several government ministers of Hlas-SD and underlined that attempts to destabilise the coalition will not help Danko become the House chair.
"I'd like to call on the Prime Minister to convene a session of coalition leaders at the earliest convenience, so that we can resolve all the issues and problems that have been snowballing within the coalition for some time. It is necessary to resolve this as soon as possible, by the end of this year at the latest. Moreover, in case the meeting will not be successful, I would like to ask Andrej Danko publicly: what use is a coalition, in which elementary agreements are not respected? What use is a coalition that cannot promote legislation aimed first and foremost at helping the people living in Slovakia?" asked Sutaj Estok.
Andrje Danko rejected the accusations raised by coalition Hlas-SD party, according to which he has been destabilising the coalition with his attacks against government ministers of Hlas-SD. Danko went as far as say that he is prepared to relinquish his post of House Vice-chair if it helps resolve the conflict.
Danko emphasised that he respects Peter Ziga in his role as a vice-chair who heads Parliament temporarily. "I'm not interested in becoming the House chair and dealing with any of this at this stage. And I take objection to Hlas-SD's attacks saying that SNS is breaking up this government," he claimed.
The SNS leader also blasted President Peter Pellegrini for getting involved in coalition disputes. On Monday (September 23) while on a visit to the UN, Pellegrini stated: “I don't fully understand what the SNS chairman is up to, even though I get it that his personal, even childish aspiration to have some post likely makes him put his personal ambitions ahead of the country's interests."
Danko underlined that Pellegrini became the President also with support from SNS. "I hope he's not tempted by the devil into wanting a caretaker government. I take objection to having the President interfere with the coalition dispute. I hope that Hlas will stop attacking me the way the President attacked me. It looks like (Labour Minister) Erik Tomas yesterday cried on his shoulder and the President, being in the party mood and having fun in America, didn't handle it too well."
Danko expects an apology from the head of state.
Source: TASR
