Simecka: Prime Minister in Throes of Paranoid Conspiracy Theories

Bratislava, January 21 (TASR) - With respect to the secret service report, Opposition Progressive Slovakia (PS) leader Michal Simecka is concerned that Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) suffers from delusions and sees things that don't really exist, TASR learnt on Tuesday. Simecka is alarmed that, in collaboration with the Slovak Intelligence Service (SIS), the Prime Minister is disseminating his paranoid conspiracy theories, but even that cannot divert attention away from the fact that the coalition is crumbling apart and the incumbent government must be brought to an end. "I'm afraid that the Prime Minister is suffering from delusions. He sees things that don't exist. There's no other explanation I can think of, so this is my takeaway from his speech," said Simecka. "This session of Parliament was supposed to be about the ousting of the government. None of what was said here can divert attention away from the price hikes and the decline of Slovakia after 14 years of Robert Fico's governments and these paranoid conspiracy theories won't either." Simecka pointed out that protest gatherings, organised by civic society, are much more peaceful than those organised in the past against previous governments by the current coalition, when Fico as an opposition leader had been "stirring up the people". Simecka underlined that the right to assembly belongs among the fundamental constitutionally guaranteed rights and voiced concern over the fact that Fico uses the term "Maidan-isation" in reference to them, seeing as "Maidan" means 100 civilian fatalities, shot dead by members of security forces. In PS view, Fico should weigh his words more carefully. mf/mcs