Mikulec: Coalition Drafts New System to Govern Election of Police Chief

Bratislava, June 30 (TASR) – The governing coalition is drafting a new system for the police chief’s election, Interior Minister Roman Mikulec (OLaNO) announced at a press conference on Tuesday.

Mikulec spoke in response to Milan Lucansky’s decision to tender resignation as the head of police earlier in the day. Lucansky cited among his reasons a mutual lack of confidence between him and the Interior Ministry’s current leadership and his unwillingness to bear responsibility over the Interior Ministry politicising of the police.

“We made it clear already in the Government Manifesto that we’re going to revisit the current system. That’s precisely what’s happening,” said Mikulec.

When asked by reporters whether Lucansky’s replacement will be picked before Lucansky retires from the force on August 31, the minister replied: “We don’t want to hurry no matter the cost. We want this process to be as transparent and legitimate as possible.”

Mikulec also declared that he sees no politicisation of the Police Corps afoot and claimed that not even Lucansky could explain how the police is supposedly politicised. The minister noted, however, that Lucansky’s appointment to the helm of the police in 2018 was far from perfectly transparent.