Groehling: Best Social Policy is Job

Bratislava, 25 February (TASR) - The alliance of moderate conservatives and liberals will enable the Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party to offer pragmatic solutions for restarting the Slovak economy as part of its agenda ahead of the next general election, SaS leader Branislav Groehling said in an interview for TASR TV. More than on ideological issues, SaS would like to focus on those that don't divide society, said Groehling. "The best social policy is a job. The best way to live is when a country is prospering and when it has a government that is boring rather than one that divides society," he said. According to Groehling, it is premature to say at the moment whether SaS's slate in 2027 will be comprised solely of party members or will also include independent figures. However, he insisted that former SaS leader Richard Sulík won't be on it. He is not concerned about losing some of the party voters if Sulik were to run for any other party, for example We Are Family. "For me, that would be a big ideological somersault. I cannot imagine that someone who advocates a lean state and right-wing measures would suddenly become part of what I see as a populist and left-wing party of Boris Kollar, who was offering rental housing, free-of-charge travel on trains, distraint amnesties and other similar measures," he said. Groehling stated that SaS is currently focusing more on the local and regional elections, which House Chair Richard Rasi (Voice-SD) has announced for 24 October of this year. "Until now, we've been perceived as a Bratislava parliamentary party. Under my leadership over the past two years and with this new SaS story, I want us to become a regional party and for the first time really join local politics," he said. ko/mcs