Groehling Expects New Coalition Crisis Over Sanctions against Russia

Bratislava, 4 June (TASR) - The leader of the opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party and MP Branislav Groehling believes that Slovakia might be at the dawn of a new potential coalition crisis with respect to the decision not to declare a referendum on scrapping sanctions against Russia. Groehling believes that Slovak National Party (SNS) chair Andrej Danko will take potshots at President Peter Pellegrini for not calling the referendum, even though the head of state explained his reasons. "It seems that another coalition crisis is brewing. Danko has strongly supported the referendum, but the president will not call it. Even though he [Pellegrini] provided a proper legal and legislative explanation as to why, I think Danko will start labeling him as some kind of American agent," he remarked. Groehling also commented on the president's appeal to address the issue of verifying the authenticity of signatures on petitions. The SaS leader believes the government should deal with it. Earlier on Wednesday, the president announced that a referendum initiated by the non-parliamentary Slovak Revival Movement on scrapping sanctions against Russia cannot be declared. The proposed question — "Do you agree that the Slovak Republic should not apply sanctions against the Russian Federation that harm Slovak citizens, sole traders or entrepreneurs?" — contains ambiguities. According to the head of state, the proposal to declare the referendum is not clear, specific or predictable, and so it is unenforceable in practice. mf/df