Election24: Korcok and Pellegrini Face-off in Debate on RTVS

Bratislava, March 28 (TASR) - Slovakia is stagnating and needs to make progress, presidential candidates Ivan Korcok and Peter Pellegrini concurred on a discussion programme on public broadcaster RTVS on Thursday. The two candidates agreed that although the president lacks powers to push through legislative solutions, he or she can introduce various topics for debate in the political space. "Economic growth isn't reaching the level we would like," Pellegrini noted, blaming the current situation on the previous governments of Igor Matovic and Eduard Heger, of which Korcok was a part. Pellegrini claimed that the current government, despite the poor state of finances, has managed to adopt social measures, trying to kick-start economic growth via investment. Pellegrini added that he would bring years of political experience to the President's Office, stating that during his career, he has led a number of delegations abroad and has been present at the signing of various agreements with foreign universities. Meanwhile, Korcok stressed the need to address the exodus of young people abroad. In the economic sphere, the president can open doors for entrepreneurs and help regions attract investments, he noted, claiming that he would like to cooperate with the government of Robert Fico in this area. "I can't do it alone," remarking that although he has diplomatic experience and contacts, he needs cooperation with the government to make changes for the better. Korcok also spoke against the criticism of previous governments, stressing that the foreign policy for which he was responsible worked properly then. He said that despite the bad situation concerning the pandemic, the governments of the last election term had succeeded in pushing through significant social measures. Nevertheless, he acknowledged that there were missed opportunities by the governments. As for the issue of cooperation with the government, Korcok said that he's concerned that Pellegrini as president could be excessively "servile", while Pellegrini opined that Korcok could act as a counterweight to the government at any cost. Pellegrini declared that he would be able to stand up to the government whenever it wanted to act in breach of the Constitution. He added that he's convinced of the stability of the governing coalition and that it'll be able to achieve more if the most senior officials are able to meet and discuss matters constructively. "Words aren't empty platitudes to me. I am ready to cooperate with the government," said Korcok, adding that he respects the Constitution. However, he opined the president should be independent and not just an extended arm of the government. He believes the president should act without orders and should have the ability to unite people. zel/mcs