Monitor: Simecka: Fico's Defeat a Prerequisite to Move Slovakia Forward

(TA3, 'V politike', December 29) The electoral defeat of Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) is not a political goal in and of itself, it's a prerequisite to move Slovakia forward and Progressive Slovakia is ready for early election, leader of opposition's Progressive Slovakia (PS) Michal Simecka stated on TA3's discussion programme 'V politike' (In Politics) on Sunday. "In light of the chaos prevailing in Parliament, in light of ruined relations between coalition partners, I say it's impossible to keep going forward this way; you can't govern like this," said Simecka. The PS chair believes that the coalition will revise changes it has made to the Penal Code, as the governing politicians needed the changes only to have their own high-profile corruption criminal cases and cases of their nominees stopped under the statutes of limitations. If the revision won't happen, however, PS would nix the changes along with the transaction tax if it comes to power. In view of PS, the coalition's Voice-SD party, under the leadership of Matus Sutaj Estok, has transformed into another Smer-SD party. Simecka claimed that relations within the opposition are good, with PS perceiving SaS and KDH as its closest partners. The 'Slovakia' party of former prime minister Igor Matovic often excludes itself from cooperation by launching various attacks against other opposition parties, but PS cooperates with 'Slovakia' in regular procedural affairs in Parliament. mf