SaS: Motorway to Zemplin Area Must Be Part of Next Government's Manifesto

Vysne Nemecke, 20 June (TASR) - The next government's manifesto must include a motorway to the Zemplin area, opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party leader Branislav Groehling told a press conference held in the village of Vysne Nemecke near Sobrance (Kosice region). "This will be our priority if we receive a mandate. This is what we'll push for in government because it's important for this region. There's no way that travelling here takes several hours and that everyone must rely on the infrastructure that is currently available," he said, criticising those members of the current governing coalition, who come from eastern Slovakia, for having done nothing for the region. "This region needs roads and motorways for investors and employers to come, bringing more jobs and higher incomes," he added. The party's transport expert Peter Bathory recalled that the first resolution concerning the construction of the motorway to Zemplin was approved by Robert Fico's (Smer-SD) government in Sobrance back in 2007, with specific construction deadlines set in 2012 and 2016. "Fast forward to 2026, and they haven't made any progress on this motorway in the past 20 years. I've been focusing on the construction of the Zemplin motorway for six and a half years, and if the political landscape changes after the election, I guarantee that we'll do everything it takes to bring the motorway to this corner of Slovakia," said Bathory, adding that "there's a lot of work ahead of us". SaS also announced that over the next month it plans to visit 251 towns and municipalities across all eight Slovak regions in order to discuss people's problems and the solutions proposed by SaS. jrg