Marek Madaric Offers Resignation as Smer-SD Vice-chair

Bratislava, November 14 (TASR) – Culture Minister Marek Madaric offered the Smer-SD leadership his resignation from the post of party vice-chair at a top leadership session held on Tuesday, TASR learnt on the same day.

This time the session was also attended by Smer-SD chair and Prime Minister Robert Fico, who was noticeably absent from the previous meeting.

The party leaders were discussing Smer-SD’s results in the recent regional elections, in which the party was whittled down from six to two regional governors. “At the session I presented my take on the elections as well as my opinion about the need for change at various party levels. I didn’t name names, apart from my own, as I offered to tender my resignation as party vice-chair,” declared Madaric in his statement for the media. He didn’t attach any conditions to his resignation.

“This is simply rooted in my doubts as to whether I can still serve as a worthy member of the leadership,” stated Madaric. The party’s self-reflection and the election results are also due to be discussed at the next session.

Shortly after the announcement of the election results on November 5, Madaric called them a debacle for Smer-SD and invoked the need for a significant party overhaul – including political, programme and personnel changes. This view was echoed by Smer-SD vice-chair and Vice-premier for Investments and Informatisation Peter Pellegrini.

Conversely, Smer-SD chair Fico doesn’t interpret the election results as a defeat, although he conceded that the party had been geared up to acquire more regional governors and regional councillors than was actually the case. A few days back Fico claimed that he saw no reason for vice-chair abdications. As for the critical comments made by Madaric and Pellegrini, Fico declared that everyone has a right to share their perceptions of reality.