Monitor: Kalinak: Fico Will Head Smer-SD's Slate for Next General Election

(STVR, 'Sobotne dialogy', 12 October) Prime Minister Robert Fico and coalition Smer-SD leader will head his party's slate in the next general election, while Defence Minister Robert Kalinak currently has no ambition to become prime minister, Kalinak said on STVR's politics programme 'Sobotne dialogy' (Saturday Dialogues). Also on the show, opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) leader Michal Simecka ruled out that PS would support Fico's possible candidacy for the post of a Constitutional Court judge. But Kalinak said he does not think Fico will run for this post. "He once again wants us to be the most successful party in the upcoming election," added Kalinak. Simecka criticised the coalition for its hypocritical stance on the war in Ukraine, arguing that even though the coalition publicly declares that it will not provide any military assistance to Ukraine, weapons produced in Slovakia often end up there through intermediaries. He added that the government is gambling with the country's security. "I was very disturbed by the prime minister's words that Mochovce [nuclear plant] is unprotected. Do you remember? That was after Russian drones violated Polish airspace and a Russian fighter jet entered Estonia's airspace," said Simecka, asking why Fico had to frighten the people and at the same time disclose information about unprotected nuclear power plant to any potential enemies. Kalinak rejected the claims about the government acting hypocritically. "Robert Fico has clearly said that Slovakia will not donate a single weapon from its own stockpiles to Ukraine. That's what is written in the government manifesto and we have been respecting this consistently," stressed Kalinak, adding that Slovakia provides civilian demining systems to Ukraine. Furthermore, Kalinak reiterated that Slovakia would not introduce compulsory military service. Simecka shared the same opinion, stating that PS, if it were in government, would not do so either. jrg