Groehling: 'Slovakia' and KDH Made a Mistake Supporting Constitutional Amendment

(JOJ 24,'Politika 24', 5 October) The 'Slovakia' and the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) opposition parties made a mistake by helping Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) pass the amendment to the Slovak Constitution in Parliament, Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) leader Branislav Groehling stated on JOJ 24's discussion programme 'Politika 24' (Politics 24) on Sunday. Groehling also confirmed that his decision not to include former party chair Richard Sulik on the SaS slate in future elections is final. Groehling criticised KDH and 'Slovakia' parties, saying that some of their MPs supported the constitutional amendment. „They helped Robert Fico cover up the entire consolidation and rising prices this way,” he said. He called it shameful that KDH and the 'Slovakia' parties followed this path and “fell into the Prime Minister’s trap.” The SaS leader had expected KDH to clearly reject further cooperation with Smer-SD at its Council session on Saturday (4 October). „(I expected them to say) that this would be a full stop – that yes, they voted for the Constitution, we’ll discuss it and adjust our relations (in the opposition), but that this is the end and that no cooperation with Voice and with Smer will happen again – especially with Smer,” Groehling explained. He added that if a new government is to be formed without Smer-SD, polling suggests that cooperation with the 'Slovakia' party will be necessary. Groehling acknowledged SaS MP Jana Bitto Ciganikova’s disagreement with the decision to exclude Sulik from the slate. „This is my decision; this is the new story of SaS. She must decide whether she wants to be part of this story,” he said, adding that he is neither expelling her nor sending her away. According to him, the new party direction is about uniting moderate liberals and moderate conservatives. Groehling also spoke about the general strike planned by SaS for 17 November. He believes it is necessary because protests no longer work. He is waiting to see whether it will be symbolic or result in the temporary suspension of production in some companies or temporary closures for several hours. He wants the strike to shake the government. The SaS leader also commented on the recent elections in the Czech Republic, saying he respects the outcome, although he feels politically closer to current Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala. „We’ll see where the Czech Republic goes from here,” he concluded. mf