Sulik: Matovic's Press Conference Deal-breaker, Back to Square One

Bratislava, March 12 (TASR) – The press conference held by Prime Minister Igor Matovic (OLaNO) on Thursday (March 11) has practically destroyed in one fell swoop the entire deal that the coalition had spent the entire week forging, junior coalition SaS party leader and Economy Minister Richard Sulik stated before a session of the Government on Friday.

“We’re back to square one,” said Sulik, adding that he’s saddened by Matovic’s behaviour.
Sulik claimed that he had been under the impression that the deal would hold. He plans to consult the next course of action within the party over the weekend, and SaS will announce its stance and decision what to do next on Monday (March 15).

“I think that everyone who saw the press conference knows exactly what I’m talking about. I personally regret it because I’ve spent a lot of time with Igor Matovic lately. I thought that a deal has been done, in place, and that all parties intended to honour it in good faith,” said Sulik, adding that this isn’t the case, however.

At Thursday’s press conference, attended by Matovic and other OLaNO representatives, Health Minister Marek Krajci (OLaNO) announced his decision to resign. The prime minister stated that Krajci would be leaving gradually and would provide counsel to his successor for a few weeks. Matovic wanted Krajci to go only after the launch of inoculation with Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine in Slovakia, which, according to him, the coalition partners used as a pretext for Krajci’s ouster. In this context, Matovic claimed that Krajci was used by SaS and For the People parties as a “ritual sacrifice”.

On Friday, however, Krajci announced that he would tender his resignation later in the day.