Premier: Extremely Serious Decisions Await Us in Coming Weeks

        Bratislava, 15 September (TASR) - Extremely serious decisions should be expected in the next two to three weeks, stated Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) on Tuesday in reference to Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (a Slovak National Party/SNS nominee), adding that even after 34 years in politics, there are still some things he doesn't understand.
        "Unfortunately, that's the reality. If we want to prevent charlatans from coming to power in Slovakia, [poor substitutes] who stammer when faced with any questions concerning Slovakia's future and funding, we sometimes have to make decisions that I don't understand and didn't want to make, but, unfortunately, there's a reality that is pushing us into this and forcing us to do so," said Fico, adding that Taraba has done "a tremendous amount of work" in his role as environment minister, and that he holds his decisions in high regard.
        "It's impossible to understand what's actually happening on the Slovak political scene. Nevertheless, I believe that in the next two or three weeks we'll take decisions that will calm down this abnormal situation," said the premier, adding that in coalition governments attention and energy must be devoted to conflicts and to defusing them.
        In May, Fico, Taraba and SNS leader Andrej Danko agreed that if no reconciliation took place between the environment minister and SNS, Taraba would step down by the end of September. Danko is proposing that Taraba should be dismissed because, in his view, it is inconceivable that he should continue in his role as minister, "taking credit for successes while blaming SNS for failures". According to SNS, there has long been a lack of any factual discussion with Taraba, even regarding key documents prepared by the ministry. SNS therefore maintains that it can't bear political responsibility for zoning, wind farms, battery storage facilities, pumped-storage power stations, fines imposed on people for illegal wells, overseas business trips or other projects falling within Taraba's remit.
        In August, Danko stated that the situation surrounding Taraba should be resolved by 15 September. Chair of the SNS parliamentary caucus Roman Michelko recently stated that the premier had promised SNS that he'd send a proposal to President Peter Pellegrini to dismiss Taraba by 15 September at the latest. SNS's nominee for the new head of the Environment Ministry is reportedly current Environment Ministry State Secretary Filip Kuffa. At the end of August, the head of state declared that if the environment minister were to be replaced, the new nomination would have to be of a higher calibre.
        In recent months, Taraba has repeatedly stated that he has no intention of stepping down as minister. According to him, Danko has all the information regarding the running of the ministry. He considers himself to be an autonomous minister in the sense that he respects the law. Last week, he declared that he's the only minister in Slovakia's history who has faced dismissal for doing his job, saving money and conducting transparent international public procurement procedures. "If anyone dismisses me for this, I'll respond to that government accordingly," declared Taraba, adding that every action provokes a reaction. He stated that when he leaves the ministry, he'll become a politician again. "Let those who started this see it through to the end," he declared.