Monitor: Sutaj Estok Links Agreement on Multiple Nominations to State Budget

(STVR, 'O 5 minut 12', 14 June) Speaking on STVR's discussion programme 'O 5 minut 12' (Five Minutes to Twelve) on Sunday, Interior Minister and Voice-SD chairman Matus Sutaj Estok stated that the confirmation of Slovak central bank (NBS) governor Peter Kazimir for another term, as well as the appointment of new Constitutional Court judges could be agreed upon as part of a single package with the approval of the state budget. "I believe, given that a budget debate is also ahead of us, that we'll have these personnel issues settled in a single package even before we approve next year's budget. I think this is a general consensus within the coalition as well, because we are aware of these issues," said Sutaj Estok, stressing that Kazimir was the best finance minister in Slovakia's history and also has the confidence of the European Central Bank's leadership. The minister views the nominations of MPs Miroslav Radacovsky (Independent) and Peter Kmec (Voice-SD) for the posts of ambassador to Cyprus and Italy as being overly publicised. "We've been discussing ambassadors here for two or three weeks now. I can't remember - and I've been following Slovak politics since I was very young - that we've ever discussed any ambassador here. And excuse me, but if Ms. Magda Vasaryova could be an ambassador, then anyone can be," said Sutaj Estok. MP and chairman of the opposition Christian Democrats (KDH) Milan Majersky believes that Sutaj Estok is downplaying the issue. He argued that an ambassador doesn't represent himself, but the entire country. Regarding Kmec, he pointed to his ouster for purchasing the former Voderady outlet at a significantly higher price than the owners had listed on real estate websites, and he criticised Radacovsky, for example, for his statements during a hearing before a parliamentary committee. am