Danko: Situation in Coalition Needs to Be Resolved by March House Session

Bratislava, February 18 (TASR) - Leader of the junior governing Slovak National Party (SNS) Andrej Danko thinks that the situation in the coalition needs to be resolved by the next regular House session due to start on March 25. Danko told journalists in Parliament on Tuesday that SNS has done its best to preserve the current government, and now it's Voice-SD's turn. "I have done anything I could for the government to survive. It is obvious that without 79 MPs, it will be impossible to function. Now it's Voice's turn to make some gesture and decision, too," said the SNS leader. According to Danko, the actual situation and potential changes in the government are now in the hands of Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD). "We'll see if he is set to revise the whole coalition agreement as well," stated Danko. He views it important for the March session to be successfully opened so that laws can be passed. At the same time, the SNS leader opined that laws in Parliament will no longer be passed in the way in which they used to be. "Ministers will have to go among MPs more often," he said. The coalition leaders are holding talks on addressing problems in the governing coalition at the moment. Fico gave his partners from Voice-SD and SNS a Monday (February 17) deadline to resolve the situation with the renegades in their parties and to find ways to continue with a governing majority in Parliament. He said that if they failed to do this, he would submit his proposals for personnel changes in the cabinet to President Peter Pellegrini. Danko at the talks declared his party's absolute support for the government and offered all SNS posts, including ministries and other nominations, with the aim of satisfying everyone with whom the prime minister will hold talks. ko/df