Matovic: Fico Can Delete My Phone Number, Bugar Is Key

Bratislava, March 7 (TASR) – Ordinary People-NOVA (OLaNO-NOVA) leader Igor Matovic at a meeting with President Andrej Kiska on Monday said that Smer-SD chairman Robert Fico might as well delete his number from his phone.

Matovic, Kiska and OLaNO-NOVA senior figure Daniel Lipsic spoke about the results of Saturday’s general election. Kiska said earlier that he would commission Fico with attempting to create a new government on Tuesday. Matovic stated that it depends on Most-Hid leader Bela Bugar and Slovak National Party (SNS) chair Andrej Danko whether OLaNO-NOVA will form part of the new government or not.

“Their relationship is important. It depends on whether Bugar will choose a lesser evil, SNS, which has been in quarantine for the past four years, or the super evil, which is Smer. If we succeed in cutting the Gordian knot, we’ll be able to move on. Bugar is the key,” said Matovic.

When asked whether OLaNO-NOVA would prefer an early election or a coalition with Smer, Matovic opted for the former. “In that case rather an early election. But we have to realise that Marian Kotleba [leader of the far-right Kotleba-People’s Party Our Slovakia/LSNS] would fare even better and that [Siet party leader] Radoslav Prochazka wouldn’t make it into parliament,” warned Matovic.

Lipsic is surprised that the media and political elites are even more dissatisfied with the result than they were in 2012. “That year a coalition of Vyboh, Brhel, Siroky, J&T and Penta won the election and garnered a majority. The current results are jagged and complicated but better than in 2012,” stressed Lipsic, referring to Smer’s alleged sponsors.

Matovic and Lipsic agreed with Kiska’s decision not to invite Kotleba to meet him. “I don’t know the legislators for LSNS, but I’m not sure if everyone is a fascist. Marian Kotleba is, however,” stressed Lipsic.