SNS Leader Danko Withdraws from Coalition Agreement

Bratislava, August 7 (TASR) – Parliamentary Chairman and leader of the co-governing Slovak National Party (SNS) Andrej Danko has withdrawn from the coalition agreement, explaining this move as an absolute necessity to reset the rules within the coalition, Parliament’s communications department director Zuzana Cizmarikova told TASR on Monday.

“I’m thereby withdrawing from the coalition agreement signed between Smer-SD, SNS and Most-Hid parties on September 1, 2016,” Danko wrote to his coalition partners. As a reason he gave the absolute need for re-setting the rules and adjusting relations within the governing coalition. Among other reasons he cited the need to set absolutely new priorities that would be reflected within the process of drafting a new budget in order to resume mutual trust between the coalition partners, as well as the public’s trust in the coalition.

“The favourable socio-economic situation of 2017 shows the need to focus on new challenges and priorities that need to be reflected in the coalition agreement and the new Government Manifesto. When the country’s economy is doing well, citizens themselves must feel it, too,” claims Danko.

At the same time, Danko has proposed for his coalition partners to hold bilateral or multilateral talks with SNS leadership about the possibility of drawing up a new coalition agreement.