President Peter Pellegrini is trying to remain non-partisan but is at a disadvantage, the coalition Smer-SD party stated on Thursday in its assessment of his first year in office.
"President Peter Pellegrini is trying to be non-partisan but is at a disadvantage, as he was the leader of the [coalition] Hlas-SD party and the House chair when the government manifesto was adopted. However, a comprehensive assessment requires more time," said the party's press department.
Smer-SD also stated that it respects the president’s decision to return certain laws to Parliament for reconsideration. "Pellegrini's State of the Republic address in Parliament met the expectations of the opposition rather than the coalition," claimed the party.
Peter Pellegrini hasn't yet managed to cast off the shadow of being the coalition president, opposition PS leader Michal Šimečka said while assessing the President’s first year in the office.
According to Šimečka, the President should be an impartial representative of all citizens and a man who will stand up for those whom the government overlooks or oppresses. At the same time, the President should be the voice of culture, environmental protection, an advocate of public finances, and a dignified foreign policy.
"Peter Pellegrini sometimes names problems, but more than just words are expected from the President - he is expected to act. He has the tools to do so: he can summon ministers, he has the mandate to act. I wish he would use this influence more actively and strive to really fix the government's actions in areas where it fails," stated Šimečka.
Šimečka noted that the President, in his inaugural speech, spoke of a divided society and promised to act as a conciliator. He indirectly criticised some ministers. However, society is just as, if not more polarised after his one year in the office, stated Šimečka. If the President set himself the goal of easing social tension, it should be honestly said that he hasn't succeeded in that so far, he added.
Cabinet ministers concurred when evaluating the President’s first year that he is carrying out the mission of head of state and acting in a balanced manner and is a stabilising element for society.
"I perceive his work very positively. He can express his opinion on both sides. This is how a president should function," stressed Vice-premier and Defence Minister Robert Kalinak (Smer-SD).
Another Vice-premier, Environment Minister Tomas Taraba (a SNS nominee) also evaluates Pellegrini's performance in the post very positively. "He carries out his mandate autonomously, exactly like he declared he would do, he isn't an intermediary for the opposition in the fight against the government. On the other hand, he's able to say things that are not in line with the government at all, but that's how a president should be," emphasized Taraba, who also appreciates the respect that Pellegrini enjoys abroad.
Matúš Šutaj Eštok, Interior Minister and Pellegrini's successor in the post of Hlas-SD party leader, is convinced that the current top constitutional official is "on the right path" to becoming the best president in Slovakia's history. "He strives to ease the tension in society, although it's not easy at all in today's era of full polarization," stressed Šutaj Eštok. According to him, the President's statements, as well as his decisions when vetoing laws, clearly attest to the fact that Pellegrini is actually non-partisan in the presidential post.
Peter Pellegrini assumed the office of president on June 15, 2024. Before his election, he served as parliamentary chair and as the leader of the coalition Hlas-SD party. He succeeded Zuzana Čaputováas head of state.
Source: TASR
