Sulik: If Kiska Becomes Premier, I'll Be First to Congratulate Him
Bratislava, December 30 (TASR) – If a political party called Progressive Slovakia is set up with current President Andrej Kiska at the helm and if it wins a general election and Kiska becomes prime minister, I’ll be the first to congratulate Kiska on his victory, stated Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party leader Richard Sulik in an interview for TASR reflecting on the outgoing year.
Sulik also stated that he doesn’t long for the post of prime minister. “I’m ready and willing to carry it out if voters give us the mandate for it. I wouldn’t avoid it. I wouldn’t be scared of it. On the contrary, I’d tackle it with the utmost energy. But if it doesn’t happen, I won’t be unhappy about it. The fact that I haven’t become a prime minister doesn’t bother me at all,” he said, commenting on what happened after the general election in March in which SaS came second after Smer-SD and Sulik launched ultimately unsuccessful negotiations on forming a centre-right coalition.
Sulik is still convinced that a centre-right government would be better for Slovakia. “But, unfortunately, Mr. Bela Bugar [Most-Hid] and Mr. Radoslav Prochazka [then Siet/Network] should have thought over what would have been better and worse. Personally, I’m not bothered about it, however. My political objectives have been met. I’ve been a parliamentary chairman [2010-11], and I’m an MEP now,” said Sulik, referring to the fact that centre-right parties Most-Hid and Siet joined a coalition with the leftist Smer-SD after the general election.
The SaS leader also conceded with some sarcasm that the current coalition of Smer-SD, Most-Hid and the Slovak National Party (SNS) is more stable than a possible centre-right government. “It’s because the deals go hand in hand. In our government, it would be more difficult for [SNS leader] Andrej Danko to nominate doubtful people for important posts. Regarding the disintegration of the Siet party, it would be a problem that we would have had to deal with, but it would certainly have been a cleaner and more respectable coalition.”
When asked whether he as premier would be able to keep such a centre-right coalition together, Sulik stated that he isn’t a newcomer in politics any more. “We aren’t at the beginning, and I’ve acquired some experience over the years.”
