SNS Calls on President Pellegrini to Cancel Ambulance Tender

Bratislava, 2 August (TASR) – The coalition's Slovak National Party (SNS) called on President Peter Pellegrini on Saturday to request that Health Minister Kamil Sasko (Voice-SD) cancel the ambulance service tender in its entirety. According to Voice-SD, the SNS demand is "completely detached from reality" and the party urged SNS to stop unnecessary attacks on both Voice-SD and the head of state. President Pellegrini sees the call as an attempt by SNS leader Andrej Danko to boost his party’s popularity. In a statement issued on Saturday, SNS demanded that Pellegrini take decisive action to prevent damage to the healthcare sector. „Especially in difficult times of fiscal consolidation, it is unacceptable for rescue services to be selected in a classified procedure," the party stated. It pointed out that the President himself had expressed serious concern about the procurement process by calling for transparency. „As the honorary chairman of Voice-Social Democracy, Peter Pellegrini bears full responsibility for the healthcare sector. Whether the tender is cancelled or not is entirely in his hands," SNS added. President Pellegrini, however, dismissed the SNS appeal as another political manoeuvre by Danko aimed at scoring points by attacking the president. „The constitutional powers of the president are clear, and cancelling tenders of any ministry does not fall within them — this is the responsibility of the relevant minister or government," said presidential spokesperson Patricia Medved Macikova. „As a lawyer, Andrej Danko knows this very well and would be the first to point it out if the President attempted to intervene in ministries under SNS authority." Voice-SD reminded its coalition partner that the healthcare portfolio is the responsibility of minister Kamil Sasko. „If Andrej Danko has any competent questions about a topic increasingly marked by lies and crude political populism, he is welcome to approach the legitimate leadership of Voice," said party spokesperson Michaela Eliasova. She also reminded SNS that the political opposition to the governing coalition is not in the Presidential Palace nor within the coalition itself. According to Voice, Danko's statements rather align with the opposition, particularly its most radical wing. „Unless Andrej Danko intends to find a new coalition partner in Igor Matovic and dismantle state institutions together, he should seek new voters for SNS elsewhere and through different means," Eliasova added. The opposition parties and the Doctors Union Association have criticised the conditions of the tender, labelling them non-transparent. They also expressed doubts about the selection committee, whose members are set to be revealed only after the process concludes. Earlier this month, President Pellegrini had asked the minister to ensure the competition complies with the law. The Health Ministry stated in response that the selection process will proceed properly, transparently, and in line with set conditions. The tender covers the operation of 344 ground ambulance stations and seven helicopter rescue medical service units. mf