Lengvarsky Fails to Convince We Are Family Caucus Regarding Reform

Bratislava, October 21 (TASR) – We Are Family caucus head Peter Pcolinsky stated on Thursday following a meeting between the caucus and Health Minister Vladimir Lengvarsky (an OLaNO nominee) that We Are Family MPs won’t support the Health Ministry-sponsored reform of the hospital network.

Pcolinsky noted in this vein that his party is willing to further discuss the reform with the minister, but only if Lengvarsky manages to convince the heads of concerned districts and hospitals and obtain their support for the measure.

“We told the minister that he can’t count on our support for the time being, unless the concerned districts, mayors and heads of hospitals tell us that they’ve agreed with the minister on the reform and that it’s in order,” Pcolinsky told the media, explaining that the minister was unable to answer some of the caucus’ questions at the meeting.

Lengvarsky stated following the meeting that he hopes the talks will continue in the near future.

When asked whether We Are Family could leave the coalition if the reform is okayed even without support from the party, Pcolinsky replied that no one from We Are Family has ever made such a claim. “If [the other coalition parties] can obtain sufficient support even without We Are Family, let them pass the reform,” he said, remarking that he thinks this won’t be the case, however.

Meanwhile, head of the parliamentary health committee Jana Bitto Ciganikova (SaS) stated that she believes the coalition has enough votes to approve the reform without We Are Family’s votes. She stated that she believes We Are Family leader Boris Kollar will change his opinion on the matter if he understands what would happen if no reform is carried out in the health sector.