Monitor: Gaspar Doesn't Understand Danko, Smer-SD Keeping Governance Stable

(STVR, 'Sobotne dialogy', 23 May) Smer-SD is trying to keep governance stable despite all the problems, while Slovak National Party (SNS) leader Andrej Danko is stirring public crises and defaming Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD), House vice-chair Tibor Gaspar (Smer-SD) said on STVR's politics programme 'Sobotne dialogy' (Saturday Dialogues), adding that Smer-SD chose not to respond to Danko's personal attacks. Also on the show, opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) vice-chair Marian Viskupic concurred that Danko is an unstable element, reiterating that SaS will run in the upcoming parliamentary election independently and doesn't wish to be part of a broad pre-election coalition. In response to Danko's recent public statements urging Fico to replace Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (an SNS nominee) as part of a government reshuffle, Gaspar said he doesn't understand Danko because it was him who nominated Taraba to the post, which means that Danko should have been able to discuss environmental matters with him at any time. According to Gaspar, Smer-SD is acting in government as promised. "And if anyone is bringing the style of governance we witnessed in 2023, it's Andrej Danko," stated Gaspar, noting that the coalition has 78 more or less reliable votes, and if Taraba were to return to Parliament, it could change the whole situation. He considers the question of Taraba running on the Smer-SD slate in the next parliamentary election to be premature. "Minister Taraba himself said that he hasn't yet negotiated this possibility with Smer-SD," noted Gaspar. Viskupic criticised the government for focusing on personnel issues instead of presenting pro-growth measures. Gaspar reproached Viskupic for the disruption of public finances by the previous governing coalition, adding that the March deadline for announcing the measures was only provisional. According to Gaspar, Smer-SD is ready to support MEP Milan Mazurek from the extra-parliamentary far-right 'Republic' party in running for the post of Presov region governor, but the principles of cooperation must be agreed first. For now, he has a feeling that Republic is not interested in a mutual agreement regarding support. If Prosecutor-General Maros Zilinka decides to resign due to health problems, Gaspar said the issue would be addressed, but as there's still a long way to go until the expiry of his term, which comes after parliamentary election in 2027, he thinks it would be "appropriate to open the question of electing a new prosecutor-general". Viskupic opposed that this issue should be left to the next government. jrg