Monitor: President Not Yet Contacted by Police over Campaign Allegations

(TA3,'V politike', 26 April) Speaking on TA3's discussion programme 'V politike' (In Politics) on Sunday, President Peter Pellegrini said he hasn't yet been contacted by the police regarding the allegations of illegal financing of his presidential campaign. "They are free to contact me at any time. I am ready to answer their questions because I have nothing to hide. And if there was anything going on in the background, let it be investigated. (...) But I certainly did not offer or give anything to anyone, and nor did any member of my core campaign team," stated Pellegrini. Regarding the proposed changes to voting from abroad, Pellegrini is concerned about the accessibility of the vote, especially in countries without a Slovak embassy or in terms of ensuring a sufficient number of polling stations in countries with large Slovak communities. In connection with the upcoming parliamentary elections, Pellegrini expects the cracks in the coalition to widen, but he believes there's no risk of the government falling. "In my opinion, the governing coalition and the prime minister will focus only on strategic matters; in doing so, he will always succeed in securing a majority for voting in Parliament," he noted. According to Pellegrini, the government must come up with solutions that will have a real impact. For this purpose, he plans to convene a round table at the Presidential Palace to discuss Slovakia's economy. In response to the downgrade of Slovakia's rating by Standard and Poor's (S&P), he said that "we're still in the A-category with a stable outlook". What matters is whether Slovakia is able to sell its bonds at a reasonable interest rate. "In this case, it must be said that Slovakia, with its debt hovering at around 60 percent, is still doing well," he added. As regards his call on political parties to commit to completing the construction of new hospitals in Slovakia, Pellegrini believes the opposition and coalition are in "trench warfare" poised to harm each other. However, he admitted that the government and individual ministers could communicate more openly on this topic. Pellegrini also touched upon Prime Minister Robert Fico's (Smer-SD) planned trip to Moscow for the celebrations marking the anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe. "I do not think his trip to Moscow should have any essential isolationism-related impacts," he stated. The President added that he views Fico's decision as an intention to pay tribute to those who fought for Slovakia's liberty 80 years ago. "And, I hope, not to those who are waging war in Ukraine today," remarked Pellegrini, adding that he plans to honour the memory of the liberators in Slovakia. Following the Hungarian elections, he doesn't expect any change in the prime minister's approach to foreign policy. "I think that he will act with pragmatism, supporting fundamental decisions while justifiably criticising the [European] Union in cases where it doesn't perform as it could," stated Pellegrini. He also believes that ties with Hungary will remain friendly and constructive. jrg