PS Expects Security Council to Convene Over Pellegrini 2020 Russia Trip

Bratislava, 24 March (TASR) – The opposition's Progressive Slovakia (PS) party warned of possible election interference with respect to a 2020 trip by then-prime minister Peter Pellegrini to Russia and called for explanations, saying that the Slovak Security Council should convene on the matter, PS leader Michal Simecka and party member Peter Bator stated at a press conference on Tuesday. The call followed media reports that the trip to Moscow was allegedly arranged for Pellegrini by Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto, with an aim to keep Smer-led government of 2018-20 in power. "It is essential that the president addresses the people and tells the whole truth — what exactly he asked of the Russians, what kind of assistance he sought, to what extent professional Russian propagandists and agents were involved in the election campaign, and whether strategic experts from Russia were present in Slovakia then, as well as later during the presidential and parliamentary elections, as they are now in Hungary," Bator said. Simecka also criticised Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) for failing to dispel doubts surrounding the trip. The opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party on Tuesday again pointed to alleged coordination between Russia and Hungary on influencing elections in Slovakia in favour of the ruling Smer-SD. It announced it would turn to the Prosecutor-General's Office. "I am filing a motion with the Prosecutor-General's Office to examine possible Russian interference in elections in Slovakia," stated party leader Branislav Groehling. According to Dennik N, Szijjarto, at the request of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, explained to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov that it was "critically important" for Hungary to make sure that the Smer-led government in Slovakia stayed in power, and that receiving then-prime minister Pellegrini in Moscow would greatly "help him win the elections". The head of state told TASR that he had attended a standard meeting in 2020 and will not allow himself to be drawn into Hungary's pre-election campaign or related activities. Fico responded that he saw no breach of rules in Pellegrini's foreign trip, while adding that he did not lead the Smer-SD candidate list in the 2020 parliamentary elections. mf