SaS Proposes Enacting Slovakia's EU and NATO Membership in Slovak Constitution

Bratislava, January 17 (TASR) - The opposition Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) party wants Slovakia's membership of the European Union (EU) and NATO to be enacted in the Slovak Constitution, party leader Branislav Groehling told a news conference on Friday. MPs for SaS want to push this through via a draft constitutional law that would amend the constitution. Parliament should deal with the bill at its February session. "I am positive that [Premier] Robert Fico (Smer-SD) is harming the interests of Slovak citizens not only at home, but also abroad. The result of Fico's government for the past couple of months has been loving admiration for Russia and damage to our relations with the EU and NATO, with our Western partners. I perceive it as Fico dragging us away from these organisations, which is unacceptable for us. "That is why we've decided to submit to the February session an amendment to the constitution that would enact Slovakia's membership of the EU and NATO," explained the SaS leader. Groehling noted that coalition representatives, particularly those from Voice-SD, have repeatedly said that Fico's recent talks in Moscow and a visit by Slovak MPs to Russia don't call into question Slovakia's orientation or its participation in the EU and NATO. Therefore, he's calling on Voice-SD MPs to support the proposal. "Let them not make any empty gestures," he added. ko/df