Monitor: Premier Sees No Room for Electing New Prosecutor-General Next Year

(STVR, 'Sobotne dialogy', 7 February) I see no room for deciding on a new prosecutor-general (PG) next year, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) said on STVR's politics programme 'Sobotne dialogy' (Saturday Dialogues), adding that the election will proceed according to the law. Fico stated that Prosecutor-General Maros Zilinka is stepping in politics and has lost the government's trust. The premier believes that Zilinka has decided to enter the arena in the context of the upcoming parliamentary election. "The parliamentary election is scheduled to be held in September 2027, so it's obvious that the entire political life will end sometime in May, or June at the latest. July, August, and September will be a regular pre-election campaign. I don't think there is any room for us to decide in March or April on the PG whose term ends in 2027," said Fico. The prime minister also responded to Zilinka's statements this week that corruption in Slovakia ceased to be investigated last year, claiming that the prosecutor's office is in charge of criminal prosecution, which is failing, and Zilinka is blaming other people. "It's exactly the same as if Transport Minister Jozef Raz [a Smer-SD nominee] held a grandiose press conference and accused Justice Minister Boris Susko [Smer-SD] of not building bridges," he noted. Fico pointed out that if someone is prosecuted and legally convicted today, they are then excluded from political competition. According to him, this was the main reason why the prosecutor's office dismissed all cases related to the donation of military equipment to Ukraine. "They are creating conditions for a broad coalition to be formed after the parliamentary election, which will include Progressive Slovakia (PS) and the Democrats," he added. The premier didn't confirm the information that an American delegation is allegedly to arrive in Slovakia. "I'm not authorised to talk about any planned visit by an American delegation to Slovakia. I can only say that if they come, they will be warmly welcomed," he noted. am