Lajcak: Opposition Will Damage Slovakia by Calling for Fico's Dismissal

Bratislava, June 15 (TASR) – Calling for the dismissal of Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) during Slovakia’s upcoming Presidency of the Council of the EU is just an attempt to discredit Slovakia, said Foreign and European Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajcak (a Smer nominee) before the Cabinet session on Wednesday.

The Opposition earlier this week declared that if Fico doesn’t dismiss Interior Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer) from his post over his alleged involvement in the Basternak tax fraud case, it will call for his dismissal during the presidency.

“I see it as an attempt to damage Slovakia, but it doesn’t surprise me, as it’s coming from people that have been trying to discredit Slovakia from the beginning,” stated Lajcak.
Lajcak noted that he doesn’t have any opinion on the matter, as he doesn’t know whom to believe. “I’d like to believe that Slovakia is a law-based state with functioning courts and prosecutors’ offices. We shouldn’t be judging people simply based on the fact that some have decided to do so. If it’s proven that someone has broken the law, responsibility for this should be apportioned, obviously,” added Lajcak.

Health Minister Tomas Drucker (a Smer nominee) said that there’s a need to settle this issue. “It’s unpleasant when anyone has a shadow of suspicion cast on them. It’s essential for the people concerned to come clean,” he stated.

Drucker noted that the whole case is presented by Kalinak and the Opposition in a different way. “It seems to me like two or three separate things joined together. I’ve asked my wife what she thinks about it, and she said that the whole thing is weird and she doesn’t understand it at all,” added Drucker.