Monitor: Majersky Urges Gov't to Resign, Danko Sees No Reason to Throw in Towel

(STVR, 'Sobotne dialogy', 14 November) Only Prime Minister and Smer-SD leader Robert Fico can decide whether to call an early election, and he has no reason to "throw in the towel", coalition's Slovak National Party (SNS) leader and House vice-chair Andrej Danko declared on STVR's politics programme 'Sobotne dialogy' (Saturday Dialogues). In Danko's view, an early election would be a mistake. Opposition's Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) leader Milan Majersky, also on the show, described the government as a political "hodgepodge" incapable of completing its term. According to Majersky, the prime minister is exhausted and lacks energy, and he sees no prospect of the coalition's situation improving. The government should therefore step down as soon as possible, he noted. Majersky pointed to the declining standard of living in Slovakia, which he said was partly a consequence of the current government. He also criticised Parliament, saying that instead of addressing people's problems, it was focusing on cooperating defendants. Danko rejected his remarks. "We should reflect on the fact that not everything in Slovakia is bad, but nor is everything perfect," he said. He also emphasised that the coalition was pushing through legislation for the benefit of the public and that the approval of the state budget demonstrated that the state could still function. He further announced that the abolition of the financial transaction tax, effective as of January 2028, was due to be approved next week. The SNS leader added that he was in touch with the prime minister and President Peter Pellegrini regarding the situation surrounding the leadership of the Environment Ministry. "Both of them are unanimously asking whether we can envisage a different nominee. I say that, politically, it is important to stand by this nomination," Danko said. mf