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Bratislava – President Peter Pellegrini assured that none of the coalition leaders nor the chairman of the opposition KDH wish or are preparing for Slovakia to leave the European Union (EU) and NATO. He considers one of the main reasons for regular demonstrations to be irrelevant. He stated this after Tuesday’s meeting with the chairmen of the coalition parties Smer-SD, Hlas-SD, SNS, and the opposition KDH, reports TASR.
“Our joint meeting made it very clear that no one, from the coalition parties or the representative of the opposition party KDH, was interested in Slovakia leaving the European Union and NATO, no one is planning such a departure, no one is organizing it, and no one is assuming that Slovakia would see its future outside these two organizations,” the president declared.
At the same time, he stated that everyone perceives the challenges and problems that the EU and the Alliance will have to face in the future. “Because we live in a very turbulent time. Geopolitical shifts are occurring, political systems are changing,” he outlined.
The president recalled that he convened the round table mainly at the request of the opposition parties KDH, PS, and SaS, which expressed concern about the development of Slovakia’s foreign policy. He was also led to this by the fact that concerns about Slovakia leaving the EU or NATO are a motive for protestors at gatherings.
“If citizens still want to express their disagreement with something in this country, they have every right to do so, but it is unnecessary if they express their disagreement with Slovakia leaving the EU or the North Atlantic Alliance, because it is not true,” he summed up.
He appreciated that the KDH leader participated in the meeting. He considers the refusal of the invitation by PS leader Michal Šimečka and SaS chairman Branislav Gröhling as a sign of their immaturity and unpreparedness to take control of the country. He suspects them of wanting the continuation of conflict and questioning the foreign policy orientation.
The president advocates the idea of organizing further round tables on current challenges. “I will do everything to find at least some basic consensus in the area of the country’s energy security and foreign policy and to speak with one voice,” he added. After the election of the chairman of the National Council of the Slovak Republic, he wants to continue with the format of regular meetings of the three highest constitutional officials.
The meeting was attended by the leader of Smer-SD and Prime Minister Robert Fico, chairman of SNS and deputy speaker of parliament Andrej Danko, chairman of Hlas-SD and Minister of the Interior Matúš Šutaj Eštok, and KDH leader and parliament member Milan Majerský. PS and SaS rejected the president’s invitation. PS leader Michal Šimečka called the meeting format a trap for the opposition. He recalled that he was requested by three opposition parties for the meeting, but the head of state also invited coalition parties. SaS refused to be part of a “false game” of supra-partisanship, and does not consider Prime Minister Fico as a trustworthy partner. (January 4)
“If citizens still want to express their disagreement with something in this country, they have every right to do so, but it is unnecessary if they express their disagreement with Slovakia leaving the EU or the North Atlantic Alliance, because it is not true.” Peter Pellegrini