President: Slovakia Would Benefit from Grand Coalition between Smer-PS
(STVR, 'Sobotne dialogy', 5 September)
Speaking on STVR's politics programme 'Sobotne dialogy' (Saturday Dialogues), President Peter Pellegrini stated that Slovakia would benefit from a grand coalition between the opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) and the ruling Smer-SD.
The head of state went on to say that this would require a strong leader, however. According to him, the election results could lead to a stalemate, and the current parties across the political spectrum won't be able to form a governing coalition. He expects the political atmosphere to gradually become more tense in the year leading up to the elections.
"For that, you need a mature leader on both sides who can set aside their own ego. Someone who can put aside perhaps everything that has been said so far between the individual leaders and members of these political parties," he stated.
Pellegrini also explained that, for the time being, the replacement of the environment minister [Tomas Taraba (a Slovak National Party/SNS nominee)] is the only announced change in the current cabinet. He expects that Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) is currently discussing this matter with SNS leader Andrej Danko. He would advise the prime minister to find a different candidate for the new minister than incumbent Environment Ministry State Secretary Filip Kuffa.
Pellegrini also regards the issue of drought and climate change as a matter for the president, pointing out that political parties across the political spectrum should take an interest in this issue and work together to find solutions.
Chairman of the opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) party Michal Simecka rejects the idea of a government including the coalition Smer-SD party, describing a statement by President Peter Pellegrini as absurd, TASR has learnt from Simecka's post on social media.
"Smer is the biggest obstacle to a better life in Slovakia. It's been in power for 16 years and, because of it, our people's standard of living, their health and their safety are deteriorating; we're plummeting to the very bottom of practically every European Union ranking. Slovakia needs change for the better. The first step towards this change is to defeat Smer in the 2027 election and send this party into political retirement. Only then will there be real hope and a vision for a better life for the people of Slovakia," he stressed.
