Election24:Kotleba: President Must Represent Slovakia Regardless of World Powers

  Bratislava, March 18 (TASR) - The president must represent Slovakia regardless of the interests of world powers, while in the domestic political arena he or she must constantly emphasise to the government the need to improve the living standards of the population, presidential candidate Marian Kotleba has stated in an interview for TASR, adding that he views the right to negotiate and ratify international treaties as the most important power of the president. This interview with Kotleba is a part of a series of interviews with candidates for the post of Slovak president.


        -What do you view as the most important role of the Slovak president?-

        The Slovak president must represent the Slovak Republic abroad as a sovereign country regardless of the interests of world powers or globalists. However, the president must act in the same intensive and sovereign manner in the domestic political arena. I see my main role here in constantly emphasising the government's duty to improve the living standards of the population, especially those who, despite working honestly, have earnings roughly at the level of the minimum wage. This concerns a very large part of the working population. These are decent and honest people, but it seems that nobody is interested in them. This must change thanks to the active involvement of the new president of the Slovak Republic.


        -Which power of the president do you find to be the most important, and without which power could you imagine operating in the presidential post, or which one do you not plan to use?-        

        I view the right to negotiate and ratify international treaties as definitely the most important power. No international treaty can enter into force without the president's approval. Thanks to this strong power, the president can be a strong counterweight to a government that enforces international treaties that harm the Slovak Republic and its citizens, regardless of whether they are treaties that subjugate us to various supranational institutions and Western powers controlled by globalists, treaties that involve us in various military conflicts that do not concern us, or treaties that promote all sorts of depraved liberal agenda, such as LGBT and gender ideology. Everywhere here, the president can be a brake that will protect the interests of Slovakia and Slovaks in international and foreign politics.


        -Some political parties have spoken about the need for a change in the electoral system? Is this change needed? Would you sign off a change in the electoral system?-

        Behind the statements about changing the electoral system, I see nothing but an effort to set up elections to suit the political parties currently in power. If we, for example, changed the current proportional electoral system into a majority one, it would result in a radical reduction in the number of political parties represented in parliament. This would strengthen the position of the biggest parties, while a large portion of Slovak voters wouldn't have any representation in parliament.
        I would support a change in the electoral system only in the issue of strengthening the principle of direct democracy, chiefly via referendums. When I was an MP, I submitted to parliament a draft constitutional law that would not only have reduced the number of signatures required to announce a referendum (from the current 350,000 to 100,000) but would also have completely scrapped the quorum necessary for a referendum to be valid. The results of a referendum would simply be binding regardless of how many voters came to the polls.


        -What is your attitude towards Slovakia's membership of NATO and the EU? We've been members of these organisations for 20 years.-

        My attitude has been unchanged and consistent for 20 years. Just like I did in parliament, as a presidential candidate I clearly say that if we want to ensure peace for Slovakia, we must withdraw from the criminal organisation NATO. And if we don't want to end up like the countries of Western Europe or Sweden, which are being literally burnt by multicultural riots on the streets and whose youth is being ruined by LGBT and gender ideology in schools and in the media today, then we must quit the European Union as well.
        However, there are many more reasons to quit the EU than just the immigration threat or LGBT and gender propaganda. During the 20 years of our EU membership, Slovakia's food self-sufficiency has decreased from 73 percent to the current mere 37 percent. The EU's discriminatory subsidy policy is ruining Slovak breeders, growers and food producers.


        -The president of the Slovak Republic also holds the post of commander of the armed forces. What is your stance on financing the army, its modernisation and strengthening, also in view of what's happening east of our borders?-

        First of all, I am pushing for the declaration of permanent military neutrality for Slovakia in order to avoid any future war with countries that do not threaten us in any way. Military pacts absolutely haven't proven to be good for us in Slovak history, as they not only failed to protect us (let's recall the Munich Agreement), but rather the opposite - they were often the cause of Slovakia's unnecessary involvement in a war. My ambition is to promote a strip of neutral countries - Slovakia, Austria, Switzerland. It is always better to avoid war completely than to be dragged into it, even with the strongest allies. It is ordinary people and civilians who suffer the most in every war, not politicians, oligarchs or elites elected by nobody.


        -What is your opinion of aid to Ukraine? Do you support Ukraine's membership of the EU? The Union has okayed the start of accession talks.-

        I refuse to participate in the further impoverishment of the people of Slovakia just because we have to give money to the Ukrainians. The Slovak Republic is the sixth most generous supporter of Ukraine among all countries in the world. I am asking: in whose interests is this? How is it possible that the government has again extended subsidies for providing accommodation to Ukrainians, almost up to €2,000, but there's no money for housing assistance for Slovak families? How is it possible that the media talk about the need to help Ukrainians every day, but there is absolute silence about the need to help Slovak families and Slovak pensioners?
        We can give medicines to Ukrainian refugees for free, but Slovak pensioners - our parents and grandparents - have to pay for them themselves. As a presidential candidate, therefore, I resolutely reject favouring any foreigners over our own citizens. The needs and interests of Slovaks and all decent citizens of the Slovak Republic will always be in first place for me as president, regardless of what the media, oligarchs, or politicians controlled by them think about it.


        -Should the president be a counterbalance to the government? Why?-

        I want to be an apolitical and impartial president. This means that when any government comes up with any idea good for the whole of Slovakia, I will back it. However, if the government comes up with a clearly harmful proposal, such as the current amendment to the Penal Code, I will very clearly criticise such a proposal with the full weight of the presidential post and resolutely reject it.

        A total of 10 candidates are running for the presidential post in this year's election. They are: Patrik Dubovsky, Krisztian Forro, Stefan Harabin, Ivan Korcok, Marian Kotleba, Jan Kubis, Igor Matovic, Milan Nahlik, Peter Pellegrini and Robert Svec.


        NOTE: TASR has asked all presidential candidates for interviews.