Danko: SNS May Not Support Opening of House Session Due to Dispute with Taraba

        Due to the ongoing dispute with Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (a Slovak National Party/SNS nominee), the coalition SNS party may not support the opening of the next parliamentary session, which is due to begin on 15 September, SNS leader Andrej Danko stated on TA3's discussion programme 'V politike' (In Politics) on Sunday, which was also attended by leader of the opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party Michal Simecka.
        However, he still doesn't wish to see the government fall. "Mr Taraba is a thing of the past for SNS. A nationalist politician doesn't let the Italians clean the Danube. I can use one lever: we won't open the House session. Until then, all I can do is to stamp my feet, because according to the coalition agreement, the premier [Robert Fico (Smer-SD)] decides on ministerial nominations individually," said Danko.
        Danko continues to insist that Taraba should step down from his post as minister by 15 September and be replaced by Environment Ministry State Secretary Filip Kuffa. "I told the prime minister that I don't wish to resort to the strongest political measures, but if he forces us to, then we must use what politics allows us to do, namely not to open the session," said the SNS chairman. He once again criticised the contracts for the removal of sediment from the Danube, the reconstruction and replacement of turbines at the Gabcikovo hydro-electric power plant, and the government's original resolution on the zoning of national parks.
        The PS chairman reminded Danko that SNS is part of the government and keeps it afloat, pointing to his inconsistent positions. According to Simecka, the worst disasters at the ministry have already taken place, "including the fact that a contract has already been signed for the repair of the turbines, which, in your view as well as mine, is overpriced by €100 million". He pointed out that the government apparently plans to award a contract for the irrigation of fields to the United Arab Emirates. "So the Arabs can irrigate our fields, but the Italians can't clean our river. Let's be consistent about what they can and can't do, and who is a national politician," he remarked.