Opposition Initiating Special House Session over Foreign Anchoring of Slovakia

Bratislava, January 8 (TASR) - The opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS), Christian Democrats (KDH) and Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) parties held a joint news conference on Wednesday to announce that they are initiating a special House session aimed at confirming Slovakia's foreign anchoring in the European Union (EU) and NATO. By backing this resolution, MPs should show that they don't support a shift in the course of foreign policy eastwards, as pursued by Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD). "The premier is preparing the ground to lead Slovakia out of Europe. However, Slovakia's place in the world has been unanimously defined by our membership of the EU, NATO, valid strategic documents and a valid memorandum of top constitutional officials," said PS leader Michal Simecka. According to him, the prime minister has no mandate from Parliament or from the elections to change the course of Slovakia's foreign-political orientation. "We can't let Fico threaten or destroy everything we've build up here for 30 years," he said. SaS MP Juraj Krupa pointed to Fico's visit to Moscow before Christmas, as well as to Slovakia's cooled relations with its partners and allies, such as the Czech Republic, Poland and France. "Nobody visits Slovakia, we hold no bilateral talks with our partners and allies," noted Krupa, adding that the government's policy towards all the four cardinal directions has put Slovakia in isolation. According to him, Fico is also opening a second front against Ukraine as well as Brussels. If the coalition doesn't vote in favour of the resolution in Parliament, Krupa will view this as a threat to Slovakia's existence and sovereignty. According to KDH vice-chair Marian Caucik, the premier is causing fear and destroying trust among partners in the EU, the coalition, the opposition and citizens. KDH views gambling with public trust, economic and security policy and the future of Slovakia as inadmissible. "Any change in foreign policy and orientation should take place in Parliament, in cooperation with the Foreign Affairs Ministry, and not by the premier saying something in a video," stated Caucik. Simecka has declared that he'll seek support for adopting the resolution in Parliament among other MPs both in the opposition and in the coalition. At the same time, the opposition is ready to organise a mass protest in support of Slovakia's pro-European orientation. Fico wants to propose that the top constitutional officials and chairmen of the coalition parties should state a position that will define the content and quality of Slovakia's foreign policy orientation and the principles that guide Slovakia in foreign affairs. The premier himself announced this in a video posted on a social network on Tuesday (January 7). According to him, this should be a reaction to the rise of views other than those promoted by Brussels and to a denial of basic democratic rules. ko/df