Kiska Appoints Ersek as Transport Minister

Bratislava, August 31 (TASR) – Arpad Ersek (Most-Hid) was appointed Transport, Construction and Regional Development Minister by President Andrej Kiska on Wednesday.
Ersek, 58 and number 9 on the Most-Hid slate in March, has replaced Roman Brecely (Siet/Network).

The shifts in the governing Coalition are the result of the departure of five MPs from Siet – Andrej Hrnciar, Eduard Adamcik, Katarina Csefalvayova, Martin Fedor and Igor Janckulik – and their admission by Most-Hid into its caucus. The predominantly ethnic-Hungarian party has thereby levelled its roster of caucus members with the Slovak National Party (SNS) – 15.

Most-Hid is now assuming posts at individual ministries hitherto held by Siet. Moreover, the foursome coalition of Smer-SD, SNS, Most-Hid and Siet has also announced to drop Siet to become a three-party coalition.

Under Brecely, Ersek served as the ministry’s state secretary. He held the same post under former transport minister Jan Figel (2010-12) as well.

Ersek’s self-proclaimed main tasks as transport minister include launching preparations of project documents for roads that are needed the most in Slovakia. He said that it was a big mistake to neglect the construction of the R7, R2, R3 and R4 expressways.