Lucia Zitnanska Leaves Most-Hid Party and Caucus
Bratislava, September 20 (TASR) – MP and former justice minister Lucia Zitnanska (2016-18) is leaving Most-Hid party and its caucus, TASR learnt on Thursday.
“I announced already before the summer break that I won’t vie for any elected office nor run in the next general election. Today, however, I’m also losing any reason to maintain the strictly official ties with the current governing coalition, and, therefore, I decided to leave the Most-Hid caucus and, hence, Most-Hid party,” Zitnanska posted on a social network.
According to Zitnanska, even half a year into the Government of Peter Pellegrini, none of the problems bedevilling Slovakia – the investigation of journalist Jan Kuciak’s murder, trustworthiness of the police and Interior Ministry, independence of police internal affairs team or the need to address land-related scandals – saw progress tangible enough to assuage concerns harboured either by the public or herself.
On the contrary, Zitnanska perceives an effort to maintain the status quo and downplay the problems. “I’m talking about the tenures of (former police corps president) Tibor Gaspar and (former NAKA head) Robert Krajmer at the Interior Ministry, evasive and misleading statements by the Interior Ministry’s leadership on the investigation into the kidnapping of a Vietnamese manager, verbal attacks against the media and noteworthy deviation from the unequivocal pro-European and pro-Atlantic orientation, represented particularly by one specific coalition partner,” she stated.
“The co-operation inside any coalition – let alone such an ideologically heterogeneous coalition as this one – is challenging and has its own set of written and unwritten rules. In the latest period, views of the party, the caucus and Ms. Zitnanska began to diverge. Therefore, we perceive her decision as a natural evolution of this state. We respect her choice and thank her for prior co-operation,” reads the press release issued by Most-Hid party.
Most-Hid caucus head Tibor Bastrnak refused to comment on Zitnanska’s departure. “I accept it. The immediate future will likely show why this happened,” he told TASR.
Zitnanska joined Most-Hid in 2014, jumping ship from imploding SDKU-DS. She served as the justice minister three times. After her departure from Most-Hid caucus, the party will be whittled down to 13 MPs in the House.
