Klus: One Month Remains to Resolve Coalition Crisis
Bratislava, July 28 (TASR) – The absolute non-compliance with coalition rules, including the coalition agreement, has become a much greater problem than personal animosity between leaders of the SaS and OLANO parties [Richard Sulik and Igor Matovic, respectively-ed.note], Foreign and European Affairs Ministry state secretary and SaS vice-chair Martin Klus stated on TASR TV on Thursday.
“Everything that shouldn’t happen has already been done in Parliament. There were various votes cast in concert with the opposition across the entire political spectrum, against the will of other coalition partners. If rules are permanently disrespected, it becomes extremely difficult to govern,” said Klus, reiterating that the SaS wants a new coalition agreement if it’s to stay in the coalition.
Such a new deal should reflect current political reality and needs to be drafted in such a way that individual actors would abide by its terms until the regular election. The original agreement saw the light of the day in March 2020, when there were four coalition partners with four MP caucuses.
“Today, only three lawmaker caucuses are left and we have a different format of division of the ministries. This should be also taken into account in the new coalition agreement. And we still have a whole month to make it happen,” he claimed.
If the SaS stays in the coalition, voting together with the opposition for the ouster of any government member is out of the question. If the ministers representing the SaS tender their resignations and the party leaves, however, the situation would change.
“If the SaS formally joined the parliamentary opposition, no scenario can be ruled out,” added Klus.
In such a scenario, a choice would have to be made by the SaS whether to support the minority government or early election. “And whether such support would also include our commitment not to vote together with the opposition, in this case the really extremely radical opposition, for the ouster of some government members,” he said.
