No Quarrelling in Coalition, Claims Danko, While Groehling Talks about Crisis

(RTVS, 'O 5 minut 12', May 5) There's no quarrelling in the coalition and there's no dispute between the Slovak National Party (SNS) and Voice-SD, either, Parliamentary Vice-chair and SNS leader Andrej Danko said on RTVS's discussion programme 'O 5 minut 12' (Five Minutes to Twelve) on Sunday. Conversely, opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party leader Branislav Groehling claimed that the coalition was in crisis. "I can assure you that Fico, Pellegrini and Danko have a good relationship," said Danko, adding that Smer-SD supports his nomination for the parliamentary chair post. Danko also had a very good and friendly conversation with president-elect Peter Pellegrini. "Once everything is agreed, it will be announced," he said. If current Investment Minister Richard Rasi (Voice-SD) is nominated for the parliamentary chair post, the liberals won't support him, said Groehling. According to Danko, the coalition is united in the issue of the law on the Slovak Television and Radio (STVR) and the law will make it through Parliament. "We want to minimise external firms and we want to make it work here," stressed Danko. SNS will do its utmost to gain the support of Smer-SD and Voice-SD for the law on NGOs, said Danko, adding that the content of the law might still be adjusted, therefore. In addition to the law on NGOs, Groehling also criticised an amendment to the law on the Art Support Fund, which says that the fund's council should now decide about distribution of money from the fund. Concerning the second (capitalisation) pension pillar, the SaS leader spoke about the need to protect people's savings. He criticized the idea that pension management companies could invest money in highway construction. "The stability of social-insurance provider Socialna Poistovna is important and we need to seek tools and new models to ease its burden," said Danko in reaction. ko