Short-term priorities of the new caretaker government will be the proper running of the state until the early parliamentary election, the preparation of a responsible budget for next year and a pro-European foreign policy, new Prime Minister Ludovit Odor declared at a press conference on Monday. Odor also cited as priorities the efficient use of European money to benefit Slovakia's future, reversal of the brain drain and help for the poor. "It's important for us to identify only a few priorities and prove capable of meeting those. We'll address anything else that life throws at us on the fly," stated Odor. The Prime Minister asked all government members to define three priorities with respect to the current state of affairs and three priorities regarding Slovakia's future. The cabinet will later draft these and discuss them with political leaders, even though it won't have time to implement them into practice. The cabinet will unveil its priorities in more detail in its Government Manifesto. Odor also presented five principles to guide his government's actions. These are stability, calm, cultivated discussion, expertise and the joining of forces, as he doesn't wish to open delicate culture war issues. "We'll address issues that unite us, issues we all share an interest in," he stated. The cabinet intends to ensure continuity both at the beginning and after its tenure.
New government members unveiled their priorities at a press conference held on Monday, after President Zuzana Caputova appointed the Cabinet of experts into office. Vice-Premier responsible for the Recovery Plan and EU Funds Livia Vasakova wants the EU money to be used in the most efficient possible fashion. According to new chief of Slovak diplomacy Miroslav Wlachovsky, the Slovak foreign policy will continue to be clear, intelligible and values-based, placing emphasis on the promotion of Slovak interests in the world. Defence Minister Martin Sklenar declared that Slovakia will continue to support Ukraine and cooperate with its EU and NATO allies in ongoing projects. Interior Minister Ivan Simko intends to provide stability for law enforcement and continue the "fight for the cleansing of public life". "We will put the law first, ahead of politics," he added. The Economy Ministry under the leadership of Peter Dovhun plans to implement a series of measures to cushion the impacts of the energy crisis. In the view of Finance Minister Michal Horvath, Slovakia is a country indebted to a large degree and he plans to present a plan to remedy the situation. Transport Minister Pavol Lancaric signalled that he will approach the work ahead of him with maximum respect. "There's a lot of processes, projects, a lot of our common money and these must be taken good care of appropriately," he claimed. Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Jozef Bires plans to deal with the soaring prices of foodstuffs and imports of Ukrainian commodities. Investment Minister Peter Balik wants to make sure the European money is drawn in the most efficient way possible and launch projects in the sphere of digitisation and informatisation. Justice Minister Jana Dubovcova plans to address urgent problems, complete the reform of the judiciary and projects of the Recovery Plan.
Source: TASR
