Monitor: Pellegrini Hasn't Received Any Gov't Nominations Yet from Fico

(STVR, Sobotne dialogy, February 23) Speaking on STVR's political talk show 'Saturday Dialogues', President Peter Pellegrini stated that Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) hasn't presented to him any nominations to the Government posts yet and if MP Rudolf Huliak (independent) is to become a nominee to the post of a minister, Pellegrini will inquire whether Huliak has revised his stance on Slovakia's exit from NATO and the EU. Pellegrini added that as the President he will take such steps with respect to the coalition crisis, so as not to become part either of the opposition's political struggle or the attempt to change balance of power in the Government and Parliament. He also won't take any action to destabilize or contribute towards the fall of the incumbent Government. Pellegrini underlined that the Presidential Palace doesn't serve as the centre of resistance or the fifth coalition partner. As for the latest round of public protests held on Friday (February 21) in Slovakia, Pellegrini finds them legitimate and emphasized that he won't ever condemn such protests. "The only thing I ask is that those organizing them should stop using as their overarching theme the slogan 'Slovakia is Europe and we won't let anyone drag Slovakia out of the EU and NATO'," he said, adding that no one is entertaining leaving the EU and NATO. Pellegrini considers planned changes to the Slovak Constitution to be a red herring, designed to inundate a significant portion of public and political debate. He noted that it will lead to heated debates, but those won't bring more investments, better environment or more jobs to Slovakia. mf