Paska and Klus Concur on Possible Problems with Frontex Command

(RTVS, 'Sobotne dialogy', September 22) The proposed strengthening of Frontex (European Border and Coast Guard Agency) is the best way how to protect the EU's outer borders, Opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) MP Martin Klus said on RTVS's radio discussion programme 'Sobotne dialogy' (Saturday Dialogues). At the same time he agreed with co-governing Slovak National Party (SNS) MP Jaroslav Paska in stating that certain problems may arise with issues of command at Frontex and its discussed superiority to relevant bodies of individual EU-member states. The MPs proposed to resolve Frontex's powers by negotiations, while they supported the idea of setting up a sort of 'pre-fields' in northern Africa in an effort to reduce the number of migrants coming to Europe. Klus acknowledged that this project may be quite expensive, but it will certainly be cheaper than the distribution of migrants in the EU. Both Paska and Klus criticised as "pointless and divisive" French President Emmanuel Macron's suggestion that EU-member countries refusing to display solidarity with other EU members on migration should be ousted from the Schengen zone and unplugged from structural funds. The two also discussed European Parliament's recent critical report on democracy in Hungary, while both described it as a pointless initiative. Klus noted that the report also lambasted some issues that are actively being dealt with by Budapest. Klus and Paska concurred that the report was designed to "punish [Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor] Orban". Turning to the poisoning in Britain of ex-spy Sergei Skripal allegedly by Russia, Klus said that after the newest findings by London, it's about time for Slovakia to expel Russian diplomats. Paska responded that he'd prefer a more careful approach, stating that Britain should first present relevant evidence proving the alleged guilt of suspect Russian individuals. bub