President Pellegrini to Meet MEPs on Friday; Those from PS Will Be Absent

Bratislava, 21 May (TASR) - President Peter Pellegrini will host Slovak members of the European Parliament (EP) at a working lunch on Friday (22 May), however, he won't meet MEPs from opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS), who declined the invitation. The announced meeting follows a similar one held last December. EP Vice-President and head of the PS delegation Martin Hojsik informed the President's Office that PS representatives won't take part in the meeting. In his letter, he welcomed the planned subjects of discussion; however, he and his colleagues object to a discussion in the presence of "politicians who were recently convicted of extremist criminal offences involving the defamation of a nation, race, or belief". He states that PS is prepared to confront such politicians forcefully in discussions. "But we won't legitimise them in this way," emphasised Hojsik in connection with the invitation to a joint meeting at the Presidential Palace. The head of state wants to meet with MEPs twice a year, considering the meetings to be important given that many decisions by European organisations and bodies have a significant impact on Slovakia as well. Most MEPs from PS were already absent from last year's pre-Christmas meeting as only one representative of the largest party among Slovak MEPs attended the session. am