Coalition Insists on Holding No-confidence Motion in Sutaj Estok in February (2)

Bratislava, November 26 (TASR) - On Tuesday, the coalition enabled Parliament to open a special session on opposition-sponsored proposal to hold a no-confidence motion in Interior Minister Matus Sutaj Estok (Voice-SD) and the minister was prepared to defend himself, but when the coalition proposed to shorten the debate to 12 hours, the opposition refused to cooperate constructively, which is why the session has been adjourned to February 2025, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) declared later on the same day. If the opposition files another motion to try to oust the minister again, coalition lawmakers won't let Parliament convene the session anymore. The coalition insists now on holding the no-confidence motion as late as in February. Fico argued that the debate should have been shortened to 12 hours because Parliament has more important matters to attend to, such as the 2025 stage budget or the Construction Act and the coalition doesn't want the opposition to engage in a five-day filibuster that would block Parliament in a gridlock. "Had they had any real arguments, they would have destroyed the minister in 30 minutes," he claimed and underlined that Slovakia faces more serious problems than to waste time on the opposition's agenda. The Prime Minister stated that the coalition leaders had agreed at Monday's (November 25) session of the coalition council that the Interior Minister will respond to reasons cited by the opposition for his ouster in detail. "The governing coalition is aware it commands a narrow majority," he added. "Today was the first day we ran with the coalition's 76. There were procedural decisions, in which the opposition needlessly thwarted the vote because it concerned their session." Sutaj Estok thanked the coalition partners for their confidence. "The opposition, either because of its incompetence or dilettantism, opted to make obstructions and that's why the governing coalition's patience with these people ran out because today we have things of much weightier importance on our hands that need to be passed in Parliament," he said. In Sutaj Estok's view, the opposition is attempting to oust him because he ended the "war in the police", put an end to illegal migration and formed investigation teams to look into the Covid-19 pandemic management as well as the Donor team, put together to investigate criminal liability over the previous government's decision to give military systems and fighter jets to Ukraine. Earlier in the day, opposition lawmakers announced that they plan to file another motion to oust Interior Minister Sutaj Estok on Wednesday (November 27). mf/mcs