Fico: I'm Unhappy with Taraba-SNS Dispute, Conflict is Escalating

Bratislava, 13 September (TASR) - In his video posted on social media on Saturday, Prime Minister Robert Fico declared his unhappiness with the development of relations between Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (SNS nominee) and the Slovak National Party (SNS), as, according to Fico, the conflict is not easing but instead escalating to an extreme level.

Fico said he had intervened to help resolve the dispute, resulting in an agreement that if relations were not restored by 30 September, Taraba would make a political gesture and resign from the government. "Because he no longer has any confidence of the nominating party. Under the coalition agreement, a coalition party has the right to replace its minister," the prime minister noted.

Fico added that it was clear that he'd need to play an active role in resolving this latest "serious intra-party conflict" involving one of the coalition partners.

In May, Fico, Taraba and SNS chair Andrej Danko agreed that if reconciliation between the incumbent environment minister and SNS was not achieved, Taraba would leave office by the end of September.

Danko has called for Taraba's dismissal, saying it is inconceivable that he should remain minister while "taking credit for successes and attributing failures to SNS". According to SNS, there has been no substantive discussion with Taraba for a long time, including on important documents prepared by the ministry.

SNS therefore says it cannot bear political responsibility for zoning, wind farms, battery plants, pumped-storage power stations, fines imposed on the people for illegal wells, foreign business trips or other projects falling under Taraba's remit.

In August, Danko said the situation surrounding Taraba should be resolved by 15 September. Relations between Taraba and the party that nominated him for office were not improving, according to the SNS chair, and Taraba should therefore leave.

SNS parliamentary caucus chair Roman Michelko said this week that the prime minister has promised SNS that he would submit a proposal to President Peter Pellegrini for Taraba's dismissal by 15 September at the latest.

The SNS nominee to become the new environment minister is expected to be current Deputy Environment Minister Filip Kuffa. President Pellegrini said at the end of August that if the environment minister were to be replaced, the new nomination would have to be of a higher calibre.

Taraba has repeatedly stated in recent months that he does not intend to leave his post as minister, and that Danko has all the information about the ministry's management. At a news conference on Friday (11 September), Taraba claimed that he was the only minister in the history of Slovakia to have faced dismissal for doing his job, saving money and conducting transparent public procurement procedures of an international nature.

"If someone dismisses me for this, I will respond accordingly," Taraba declared, adding that every action provokes a reaction. He noted that if he left the ministry, he would once again become a politician. "Those who started this game should also finish it," he said.