Martina Bajo Holeckova to Strengthen Opposition SaS Caucus

Bratislava, January 16 (TASR) - Independent MP Martina Bajo Holeckova is joining the parliamentary caucus of the opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party, SaS leader Branislav Groehling announced at a news conference on Thursday, adding that the caucus will thus have 12 members. Bajo Holeckova said that SaS means an alternative to the current government for her. She also views it as a party in which moderate conservatives and liberals can work together. "For me, conservative politics means being close to people, effectively helping families, but all families without distinction, as half of the children today are born out of wedlock, and we shouldn't turn a blind eye to that. And such a policy is in no contradiction to the one pursued by SaS, on the contrary, I think they complement each other," said Bajo Holeckova. The MP wants to continue working on issues such as assistance for families, social policy, single parents, violence against women and domestic violence. She also pointed to the issue of kick-starting the Slovak economy and wants to devote herself to a comprehensive reform of the pension scheme and fighting corruption. She'll have her hands free when voting on cultural and ethical issues. Bajo Holeckova also held talks with the opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) and extra-parliamentary Democrats parties about the possibility of joining them, but SaS leader Groehling's vision won her over. Bajo Holeckova announced that she was quitting the Christian Democrats (KDH) last September. She said at the time that she was unable to continue working in a party whose actions she no longer understood, and that she was unable to "truthfully and honestly defend interests" with which she didn't identify. ko/df