Both the coalition and the opposition have agreed that they reject sending Slovak soldiers to a possible peacekeeping mission in Ukraine. This is also one of the conclusions of the round table of parliamentary political parties that met in the Presidential Palace. While the opposition calls for more control over what and why the cabinet buys in defence, the ruling coalition insists that defence spending should be dual, i.e. it should also go into building infrastructure such as bridges, roads and hospitals.
The meeting was attended by Smer-SD, Hlas-SD, the Slovak National Party (SNS), Progresívne Slovensko (PS), the Christian Democrats (KDH) and SaS. The President also invited Defence Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer-SD) and Chief-of-General-Staff of the Slovak Armed Forces Daniel Zmeko.
One of the discussed topics was military procurement strategy. Michal Šimečka, Chairman of Progresívne Slovensko said that Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák is doing well just buying.
"It is already costing billions, it could cost up to 8 billion, as for those purchases that he has already announced or are contracted for a year and a half, but there is no system. He is working like a buying maniac taking what he sees first. We want to see a plan."
Defence Minister Robert Kaliňák: "We are also interested in presenting what exactly is to be hidden behind this expenditure in the future, so that it is clear exactly what will be bought with it and what will be implemented. And, basically, we will proceed with changes in the laws in a way that strengthens our defence, that's all."
At the meeting, the coalition and opposition leaders also discussed their strategy regarding what to invest in. Interior Minister Matúš Šutaj Eštok of Hlas-SD confirmed that all of them but one agreed on dual expenditures. “If we want to talk about increases, they are to go to the army. They are to hospitals, they are to roads, they are to bridges. So they are exactly the kind of expenditure that will also help people in the regions.”
The opposition SaS party advocated for the repair of roads and bridges to be financed from EU funds. Party leader Branislav Gröhling: “Even Mr Kaliňák, when he says that he needs more and more resources in order for us to really have the defence capability of our country, I do not understand why he wants to give some additional expenditure that is not directly related to the defence capability of our country.”
Leader of Christian Democrats Milan Majerský is calling for a parliamentary review of these expenditures: “We have proposed that a committee be set up at the National Council to scrutinise this expenditure, to scrutinise dual purpose expenditure as well as defence expenditure.”
President Peter Pellegrini appreciated that there was a consensus on the issue of refusing to send troops to Ukraine. “So let no one have any strange feelings now as to why Slovakia will not, I think, be invited to summits of the so-called Coalition of the willing in the future, because Slovakia has made it clear that it is not willing to provide its military forces on the territory of Ukraine, in which case we have nothing to do at such summits either.”
The only parliamentary party that did not receive an invitation to the palace was the Movement of Slovakia, which declared before the meeting that it was against increasing defence spending. MP Július Jakab: “We find it outrageous that at a time of consolidation, when the Government is raising people's taxes, fees, taking away their parental pensions, taking away their tax bonuses for their children, they are talking about wanting to increase the defence budget.”
SNS party leader Andrej Danko, who did not comment on the negotiations, left the meeting early.
Source: Slovenský rozhlas
