Slovak MEP Eduard Kukan Has Left SDKU-DS

Bratislava, September 29 (TASR) – Former three-time foreign affairs minister and current MEP Eduard Kukan gave up his SDKU-DS membership last week, parlamentnelisty.sk news website reported on Thursday.

Kukan, one of the founders of SDKU (Slovak Democratic and Christian Union), said that he didn’t want to make any fuss about his departure from the party. “I didn’t want to leave prior to the general election in March and I also didn’t want to join any other party or set up my own party … because I considered it to be disrespectful. But I took part in one recent SDKU congress and I was horrified from what I heard. The party and its leadership are living in another political reality,” the website quoted Kukan as saying.

“The election has shown what the political reality is – SDKU received 0.26 percent. After that there was no point in hesitating. I don’t even know the people that are in the party now. Chairman Freso resigned although he should’ve done that long ago. I have no information about how the party’s functioning now, but I know that it’s entirely different party from the one we established 15 years ago. I wouldn’t know what to do in such a party,” argued Kukan.

Kukan currently doesn’t think about joining any other party. “I wouldn’t have chosen a single party from among those currently available in Slovakia,” noted Kukan.

Kukan, 76, remains a member of the European People’s Party in the European Parliament. “I have enough scope to fulfil the promises I’ve given to my voters. I feel responsibility towards them and I’m doing things I haven’t done before – I’m member of social affairs and employment committee and I’m engaged in helping seniors,” added Kukan.