SNS Offers to Replace Environment Minister Amid Coalition Overhaul

Bratislava, 20 May (TASR) - The Slovak National Party (SNS) has offered, as one of the alternatives with respect to the announced government reshuffle, to replace its nominee in the post of environment minister, TASR learnt from Zuzana Skopcova, director of the office of SNS chair Andrej Danko. "The Slovak National Party maintains its position that Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (SNS nominee) has been running the ministry fully autonomously for the past three years, including personnel appointments, while for a long time there has been no substantive discussion even on key materials prepared by the ministry," Skopcova claimed. She added that SNS therefore cannot bear political responsibility for zoning plans, wind farms, battery plants, pumped-storage power stations, fines for illegal wells imposed on citizens, foreign business trips or other projects falling under the competence of the current environment minister, seeing as the party learns about these projects only through the media. "For the Slovak National Party, it is important to preserve government stability and it's ready for political compromises with its coalition partners," Skopcova added. On Tuesday, SNS declared that it was distancing itself from the proposed zoning plan for the Tatras prepared by Taraba. Following Wednesday's cabinet session, the minister said he stood by the proposal. mf