Premier: If Trust Isn't Restored between SNS and Taraba, There Will Be Change
Bratislava, 25 May (TASR) - If political trust between the coalition Slovak National Party (SNS) and its nominee, Environment Minister Tomas Taraba, is not restored by the end of September 2026, there will be a personnel change at the level of minister and vice-premier, stated Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) following Monday's meeting of the top three constitutional officials, adding that he hopes that this trust will be restored and an internally stable partner within the coalition will be maintained.
The premier also stated that Monday's meeting of the coalition council was constructive and that representatives of the governing coalition confirmed their interest in continuing and making full use of the electoral term until its final day.
"I must respect the fact that the Environment Ministry is a ministry that, according to the coalition agreement, falls under the political control of SNS, and Mr. Taraba is a nominee of the Slovak National Party. Likewise, I must respect - because pacta sunt servanda, agreements must be kept - that according to the coalition agreement, if a coalition partner requests the replacement of its nominee in a ministry under its political control, as stipulated by the coalition agreement (although it doesn't supersede the Constitution), the prime minister is obliged to submit a proposal to the president for such a change," he said.
Fico pointed out that his role as prime minister is to ensure that the coalition majority will function. According to him, all proposals supported by the cabinet should be approved at the next parliamentary session set to begin on Tuesday (26 May).
In his view, Taraba is a good minister. When the proposal to dismiss Taraba is officially submitted by SNS chairman Andrej Danko, he'll face a moral dilemma regarding how to proceed. He called the much-discussed government reshuffle a media bubble.
President Peter Pellegrini stated after the meeting that, as head of state, he doesn't see any need to address the situation within the governing coalition at the moment. "Based on discussions with the premier as well, I don't currently perceive any situation that would, in the near future, lead to any actions directed by the prime minister to the Presidential Palace or directly to me," he stated.
