Foreign and European Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajčák (a Smer-SD nominee) doesn't wish to participate in partisan disputes and views the discussion on objections to the UN Global Pact on Migration as nothing but an effort to score political points in the domestic political arena, TASR learnt on Wednesday. "I'd like to reiterate quite clearly once more that it's not my intention in the slightest to transport migrants to Slovakia and that's not what the document pursues at all. My position on the migration policy has been sufficiently known and consistent for three years. And if someone is distorting it and lying just because they're courting [far-right People's Party Our Slovakia leader Marian] Kotleba or engaging in a race on who's a bigger Kotleba than Kotleba, I've got nothing to do with this," underlined Lajčák. He pointed out that earlier in the day, ministers of the government greenlighted a bill aimed to streamline the employment of foreigners from third countries in Slovakia. Lajčák didn't rule out his potential resignation. "I can't rule out anything at this point. I'm a responsible person, I've got the Ministry and (Slovakia's) OSCE Presidency is drawing near, but let me reiterate: if Slovakia chooses to embrace the path of xenophobia, I cannot and will not represent such a Slovakia abroad."
Prime Minister Peter Pellegrini (Smer-SD) was surprised by the words of Foreign Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajčák (a Smer-SD nominee) concerning his possible resignation, however, according to him this is a hypothetical situation. "Slovakia doesn't agree with the text of the Marrakech Convention [UN Global Pact on Migration] as it is presented and has certain red lines that we don't intend to cross over. The minister is aware of these lines and therefore let's give him time to try to negotiate how Slovakia can preserve its face and, on the other hand, to clearly reject some passages from this convention," said the prime minister. Pellegrini also thinks that before the migration crisis and the mistakes that were made in this respect, people might not have even noticed such a document.
President Andrej Kiska is concerned by the "conflict" in the government of Peter Pellegrini (Smer-SD) and the potential resignation entertained by Foreign and European Affairs Minister Miroslav Lajčák (a Smer-SD nominee). Kiska perceives the UN Pact on Migration to be a legally non-binding document that doesn't impose any commitments upon Slovakia to shelter migrants. On the contrary, the Pact underlines that it's up to every state's consideration as to who can or can't enter its soil, stay there and under what conditions. Furthermore, the document is also a guideline on how to contribute to the creation of conditions under which people wouldn't have to leave their homes and could live out dignified lives in their homelands.
The senior governing Smer-SD party is sticking to its principles on migration and refuses to use this issue to gain any personal position, Parliamentary Vice-chair Martin Glváč (Smer-SD) said on Tuesday in connection with the UN Global Compact on Migration. "It was just the government led by the Smer-SD chairman that, despite many doubters, filed a motion with the EU Court of Justice regarding mandatory quotas for migrants. Today we all know that our attitude on migration has been right," added Glváč.
The UN Global Pact on Migration is unacceptable for the junior coalition Slovak National Party (SNS) in terms of its content and SNS demands that Slovakia withdraws from the Marrakech talks, SNS leader and Parliamentary Chair Andrej Danko said at a press conference on Tuesday. Danko didn't intimate any intent to leave the coalition over the UN Compact, as he hopes that a compromise will be hammered out with Smer-SD. Danko reiterated that SNS proposes a resolution, via which the Government should adopt a rejective stance on the UN Compact and state that it is a "controversial document not in line with the current security and migration policy of the Slovak Republic".
