Poliacik on Leaving SaS: I Can't Identify with SaS's Current Direction
Bratislava, November 9 (TASR) – Leader of the Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party Richard Sulik is a good man and this party has been writing a successful story, but despite these advantages I can’t identify with the current direction of the party anymore, so I’m leaving it, stated MP Martin Poliacik at a press conference on Thursday.
“Despite SaS’s excellent programme and great people, it’s no longer possible for me to represent SaS due to differences of opinion. My generation sees the only possible scenario for Slovakia to become a well-managed country in a strong and united Europe,” said Poliacik, who has had longstanding differences of opinion with Sulik on a number of issues, for instance, migration to the EU.
According to Poliacik, a desire for an alternative to the current Government is growing in Slovakia. “I will thus direct my efforts in a way that this alternative will involve a clearly pro-European and modern political force,” he said.
Regarding the rumours about Poliacik joining the political movement Progressive Slovakia (PS), the MP confirmed that he has been communicating with the movement, but no transfer has yet been settled.
“When I first met Richard Sulik in 2009, I wouldn’t have thought that it would be one of the most important meetings in my life. I had the opportunity to be the co-founder and the representative of a good political product. Richard was my tutor, he had supported me for years, and I’m grateful for that,” said Poliacik.
Sulik, who was also present at the press conference, stated that it’s clear that Poliacik holds different opinions on some issues than SaS. “Despite the fact that I’ve been on very good terms with him on the human side, I’ve often seen him suffer… and some of his attitudes have been incomprehensible to me,” said the SaS head.
Sulik went on to assure voters that Poliacik’s departure from the party doesn’t mean that SaS is disintegrating. “I’m referring to Lucia Duris Nicholsonova, who is not leaving the party [as rumoured]. On the contrary, on Monday [November 13] we’re going to unveil our reform on addressing the problems in Roma settlements,” said Sulik, adding that SaS is in perfect shape.
The party head further stated that SaS won’t ask Poliacik to return his MP mandate, claiming that he garnered a lot of preferential votes in the 2016 general election.
Only a few months ago, MP Jozef Mihal left SaS as well in order to join Independent MP Miroslav Beblavy and set up a new political party Together – Civic Democracy.
SaS has been the strongest Opposition party for a long time, with its preferential votes reaching around 15 percent in the latest poll.
