Bratislava, April 18 (TASR) – The Slovak National Party (SNS) wants to talk to Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini (Smer-SD) on Thursday (April 19) afternoon to clarify their positions on some governance-related issues, SNS leader Andrej Danko told a news conference following the party presidium meeting on Wednesday.
“If I am to be a coalition partner who learns about the departures of ministers and other senior state officials from news conferences, I don’t feel comfortable and I cannot imagine the coalition’s further functioning. However, it does not mean we are opening up the coalition agreement,” said Danko, stressing that he does not want to learn about his partners’ steps from press conferences.
According to Danko, Pellegrini as the prime minister is a new person for SNS, unknown in terms of his positions and values. “There are plenty of issues that might result when SNS’s communication with Mr. Pellegrini is complicated. I need to feel comfortable in this Government. There are questions that Mr. Pellegrini must give us answers to if we are to trust him,” said Danko. He mentioned, for example, the issue of migrants and their redistribution, as well as other challenges within the European Union. He also wants to know Pellegrini’s position on the EU’s core.
Danko promised that SNS will do its utmost to explain their positions in an intelligent manner so that the Government session can take place on Friday (April 20) and that laws can be approved. Danko admitted that he initiated the rescheduling of the Government session from Wednesday to Friday to discuss opinions first.
Opening up the coalition agreement is not on the agenda at the moment. “When it is on the agenda, I’ll do so. If I feel that SNS is suffocating, if we are to be slandered, I’ll do it, just as I did last year,” said Danko. He rejected the idea that SNS is talking about early elections. “We are far from there being no-confidence in the Government and from early elections at the moment,” he noted.
Danko also hinted at a problem with the Finance Ministry. “I refuse to bow down and beg for finances, to fight hard for things that should be natural in a functioning state,” he said.
As an example of differing opinions in the coalition, Danko gave the conflict in Syria. “I think that [previous prime minister Robert] Fico would not have made a statement that he supports the conflict in Syria,” said Danko, adding that he has not made such a statement either.
