Premier Robert Fico (Smer-SD) announced on a social network that he signed an agreement with Independent MPs Samuel Migaľ and Radomir Šalitroš on Tuesday that will create the conditions for ensuring a stable majority for the governing coalition in Parliament.
"I would like to thank the aforementioned MPs, as well as Hlas-SD MP Jan Ferenčák, for their approach to resolving this situation," stated the premier.
Migaľ and Šalitroš stressed that they never cared about posts or personal benefits, but about specific results. Therefore, they don't want to just criticise, but also to take over responsibility.
"Following demanding and lengthy negotiations, we've come to an agreement that will allow us to continue to support the government manifesto and at the same time maintain the focus on what is actually important, so that the government and Parliament will work for the people first of all. We were never interested in any posts or personal benefits, we wanted politics not to remain at the level of promises, but to bring concrete results for everyone living in Slovakia," wrote Migaľ, adding that along with the remaining MPs, they did their best to be able to turn good visions into reality.
On Wednesday morning it was confirmed that Samuel Migaľ should become the new Investment, Regional Development and Informatisation Minister, and that he should assume the post on Wednesday. According to Migaľ, Radomir Šalitroš should become his state secretary.
MP Jan Ferenčák declared his support for the governing coalition on a social network, adding that defending the needs and interests of citizens as an MP and mayor of Kezmarok (Presov region) remains his priority.
Migaľ and Šalitroš were expelled from Hlas-SD in January, while Ferenčák remained in the party. The premier held talks with a group of dissatisfied MPs regarding securing their support for the government. After the coalition agreement was amended, Hlas-SD gave up the Investment Ministry, which passed to Smer-SD.
According to Progressive Slovakia (PS) leader Michal Šimečka, the governing coalition has concluded a pact with the Independent MPs that will only last until another "hungry mouth" appears and the whole "roundabout" starts up again. He added that the government crisis wasn't about helping people, but about obtaining posts.
Šimečka noted that the government crisis lasted for 139 days. "For exactly that many days, people were watching a 'tug-of-war' and bargaining with government posts between the coalition parties and their various rebels, such as the MPs around Rudolf Huliak and Samuel Migaľ. During that time, Premier Robert Fico's (Smer-SD) hodge-podge has done absolutely nothing for the people," stated Šimečka. "It wasn't any kind of battle of ideas or a dispute about what they could do for people and how they could help them; it was just about who would gain what post. Representatives of this governing coalition aren't interested in people, they're just interested in themselves," said Šimečka, adding that the government will continue to be unstable and full of chaos.
SaS leader Branislav Gröhling also opined that the group around MP Samuel Migaľ didn't care about values or democracy, but about posts, power and "deals". The SaS leader pointed out that the group of MPs around Migal didn't speak out earlier about other problematic steps by the government; they only began to rebel "when they could gain more money for the sports clubs of their family members".
According to Gröhling, Premier Fico won't have it easy. "Every MP received instructions on how to obtain more money," he said, adding that if anybody wants to receive a ministry, all they have to do is rebel and protest.
In his response, 'Slovakia' chair Igor Matovič claimed that Slovakia is in for additional two and half years of governance by blackmailers and mobsters. "Robert Fico was claiming confidently that he won't let anyone blackmail him. Migaľ and Huliak were claiming that they were not after any ministerial posts. We see the outcome now: Fico is blackmailed into submission, Huliak and Migaľ enjoy ministerial Bimmers (ed note: BMW limousines)," said Matovič.
Source: TASR
