Fico: House to Hold Special Session on Aggression at Opposition Protests

Bratislava, December 2 (TASR) - An extraordinary special session of Parliament will be included in the House timetable next week to address displays of aggression at opposition protests and rallies, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) announced after a session of the coalition council on Monday. "There were protests signs claiming that the assassination attempt [against the Prime Minister] didn't happen, all of us should be taken into police custody and that includes not just me and Mr. President but also representatives of SNS and Voice-SD," claimed Fico. "This session will pave the way for a discussion on a report on the May 15 assassination attempt." The Prime Minister also announced that the coalition agreed to override the veto by President Peter Pellegrini on the Free Access to Information Act. The head of state vetoed the bill over the introduction of a special fee in cases of an "excessive information search", as such an ill-defined and vague rule could trigger disputes on how and when it is to be applied. "We decided to pass the bill in the same form in which it was submitted and passed the first time," said Fico, adding that the coalition respects the President's right to speak his mind and exercise his veto. "We, on the other hand, have a right to comment on his reservations." In addition, Fico announced that he had a telephone conversation with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen. "I told her that I'd like to be a constructive politician, but when it comes to the defence of national-state interests, I'll be tough and there are issues on which I have nowhere to step back in terms of compromise," he stated, adding that such an issue is the military aid for Ukraine as well as statements made by representatives of the European Commission that are not based on a consensus approved at the level of the Council of Europe and the EU. He was referring this way to new Council of Europe President Antonio Costa, who met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Sunday (December 1) and promised Ukraine quick progress with its accession to the EU. mf/mcs