Democrats: "Deep Ploughing" a Genuine and Sustainable Plan for Slovakia

Banska Bystrica/Bratislava, 2 August (TASR) - The non-parliamentary Democrats party announced “Deep Ploughing” as its main policy direction, which, according to party leader Jaroslav Nad, is not an act of revenge but rather an honest and sustainable plan. Following Saturday’s session of the party's national council held in Banska Bystrica, Nad, the former defence minister (2020-23) in Eduard Heger's government, stated that Deep Ploughing represents justice for all honest people. „It will also mean a fundamental shift in how various aspects of our society are perceived today,” Nad remarked, adding that the initiative would bring significant reforms and the introduction of new legislation. According to Nad, the Democrats are preparing a well-structured and honest recovery plan for Slovakia, which they intend to shape together with the Slovak people. A link to a form where people can submit their ideas and suggestions for the party’s future programme is available on the party’s website. At the party’s first-ever national council meeting, which gathered nearly 80 members from across Slovakia, the discussion also included preparations for next year’s municipal elections. „As a party, we have our own ambitions. We will seek common ground with our potential coalition partners, currently parties in the opposition,” Nad said. He added that the party aims to field at least one candidate for mayor in every regional capital and at least one, possibly two, candidates for regional governor. The council also addressed the ongoing petition drive to initiate a referendum on early elections and other related matters. Nad reported that during July, the party surpassed 200,000 collected signatures and expressed hope that the signatures could be submitted to the president by the end of the year. „In recent days and weeks, the rate of collection has grown, and I believe more opposition parties will join us,” he noted. Nad also said the council discussed ongoing attacks from the government against the Democrats, stating that the police have become politicised. Party vice-chair Juraj Seliga reported that the Democrats currently have 943 members, with representation in every district of Slovakia and a stable financial situation. „Today’s national council session demonstrates that the Democrats are highly dynamic. We are an active opposition and, in many cases, we are setting trends that we’re glad to see even the parliamentary opposition adopting,” Seliga said. mf