Monitor: Fico: Slovakia's Political System Ripe for Change

(STVR, 'Sobotne dialogy', November 9) Speaking on Radio Slovakia's politics programme 'Sobotne dialogy' (Saturday Dialogues), Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) claimed that the political system in Slovakia should be changed in order to limit the number of political parties in Parliament and he plans to discuss the issue with his fellow coalition partners as well. "This political system with 100 parties is really ripe for a change," Fico declared and added that the minimum threshold required to become a parliamentary party should be increased from the current five percent to seven percent or, alternately, the election deposit increased to half a million euros. "The ways to go about this are various and sundry, but this must stem from an agreement with others. I'm talking about the future now, I'm not discussing changes for this election cycle," he said. Fico believes that the current political system harms Slovakia. mf