Pellegrini Calls on MPs to Refrain from Vulgarisms in Parliament

Bratislava, September 25 (TASR) - President Peter Pellegrini on Wednesday spoke against vulgarisms in Parliament, opining that those who use such words should "pull the handbrake" and return to civilised debate. Pellegrini said this in reaction to expressive remarks made by Slovak National Party (SNS) MP Rudolf Huliak on Progressive Slovakia (PS) MP Lucia Plavakova on Wednesday. The president stressed in this vein that the behaviour of MPs in Parliament is also observed and judged abroad. "Such insults and comparisons... are really beyond the pale, I think, and MPs who behave in this manner should take a step back as soon as possible, pull the handbrake, and return to a sophisticated debate in Parliament. If they don't, efforts to create a positive image about Slovakia abroad will be futile," the president said. It's up to Huliak to decide whether he should apologise to Plavakova, added Pellegrini. At the same time, he noted that he's disappointed with what is happening in Parliament, remarking that it's regrettable that MPs are dealing with problems that don't help the country make any progress. Plavakova on Wednesday was expelled two times from the Parliament chamber because of stickers supporting the LGBTI community on her laptop. According to House Vice-chairs Andrej Danko (SNS) and Tibor Gaspar (Smer-SD), who both expelled her, the stickers were in breach of the parliamentary Rules of Procedure. Both opposition and coalition representatives held press conferences to address the matter. Speaking at the coalition press conference, SNS MP Huliak called Plavakova a b*tch, adding that he doesn't consider her to be a woman. zel/mcs