Fico: New Ministers Not Smer-SD Nominees, But Independents

Bratislava, March 19 (TASR) - New Government ministers, Samuel Migal and Rudolf Huliak, will serve as independent nominees and report only to the Prime Minister in a political sense, with their appointments being the price paid for the restoration of governing majority as well as the outcome of inability of Voice-SD and SNS party leaderships to arrive at a deal with their own lawmakers, Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) declared in his social media post on Wednesday. "By having replacement nominees, willing to support the governing coalition, take up the posts of new ministers and state secretaries, the governing coalition has reacquired not only the capability to pass bills in Parliament but also elect, for instance, the new House chair," said Fico, who rejected the notion that new Investment Minister Samuel Migal and Sports and Tourism Minister Rudolf Huliak are Smer-SD nominees. mf