Monitor: Drucker: Fico's Trip to Moscow More in Interest of Smer Than Slovakia

(STVR, 'Sobotne dialogy', May 10) Speaking on STVR's politics programme 'Sobotne dialogy' (Saturday Dialogues), coalition's Voice-SD vice-chair and Education Minister Tomas Drucker stated that Prime Minister Robert Fico’s (Smer-SD) trip to Moscow was more in the interest of the Smer-SD party than in the interest of Slovakia, whereas KDH leader Milan Majersky views Fico’s trip to Moscow as a disgrace. “The Prime Minister was not there on behalf of the entire coalition,” noted Drucker, emphasizing that both of Slovakia's highest constitutional officials — President Peter Pellegrini, the former leader of Voice-SD, and Parliament's chair Richard Rasi (Voice-SD) — honored the victims of WW2 and Victory Day over Fascism in Slovakia. “We cannot ignore the historical fact that it was the Red Army that played a key role in liberating the territory of what is now Slovakia,” he pointed out. “But the historical truth is also the aggression against Ukraine - that Russia attacked a free country more than three years ago and continues to occupy it,” he highlighted. In this context, he stressed the need to clearly understand where Slovakia wants to belong in terms of values and who are its allies, guaranteeing Slovakia’s security and economic progress. “Relations with these allies need to be improved, not worsened,” warned the Education Minister. Majersky reiterated the stance of KDH and the opposition, which views the prime minister's trip to Moscow and his participation as the only EU leader at the event as a disgrace. “It is a disgrace to visit an aggressor who has been occupying and attacking a free country for three years,” he declared. Both also touched on the issue of the petition for a referendum on not applying sanctions against the Russian Federation and how the head of state will approach it. Majersky pointed out that Pellegrini must respect the law and the constitutionality of the petition question in making his decision. Drucker is convinced that the president does not need any politician's advice. “He has a high-quality expert and advisory team that will assess the matter appropriately,” he said. On behalf of the Voice-SD party, he declared that they are not in favor of lifting the anti-Russian sanctions. However, it is clear to him that the sanctions are not working as they should. Majersky declared that even if a referendum is held, KDH will not participate in it. “This is also the answer to how we stand on the attempt to lift the anti-Russian sanctions,” he added. mf