- Hlas-SD is looking for a replacement for Deputy Prime Minister Petr Kmec.
- The PS leader criticizes Kmec’s resignation as confirmation of suspicions.
- Šutaj Eštok and Šimečka talked about the controversy surrounding Lajčák.
- Šimečka appealed to participate in the gathering to commemorate November 17.
The Hlas-SD party is communicating about who should replace the Deputy Prime Minister for the recovery plan and the knowledge-based economy Petr Kmec (Hlas-SD) in office. Party leader a Minister of the Interior Matúš Šutaj Eštok he believes that the party will present a proposal for a candidate in the near future. He considers it his decision whether Kmec stays in politics. However, he thinks that he has political ambitions and sees his application in parliament. The minister stated this in the Sunday discussion program of the TA3 television in politics.
Leader of the opposition PS Michal Šimečka thinks that by submitting his resignation, Kmec confirmed the suspicions in connection with calls for support of science, research and innovation. Šutaj Eštok rejects Šimeček’s claims. He claims that Kmec’s resignation is a manifestation of political culture. If he has lost the trust of Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD), according to him, it is logical that he does not want to be part of the government.
He respects Fico’s proposal to dismiss Kmec, but he does not understand it. “The prime minister decided to make a public signal that I still don’t understand what he was supposed to show,” he pointed out that Kmec was ready to resign and communicated with Ficom about further steps. At the same time, he called on the prime minister to treat all ministers equally, including his own. In this context, he pointed to the proposed resignation of the Minister of Transport Jozef Ráž (name of Smeru-SD). Until the party chooses a candidate to replace Kmec, according to Šutaj Eštok, one of the members of the government for the Hlas-SD party will lead the office. “I will discuss this with the prime minister,” he added.
Simečka he does not understand Kmec’s resignation if he claims that everything was fine with the challenges. He considers his action to be a confirmation of suspicions in this regard. He described the results of the call as a bargain by which Hlas-SD wanted to thank its funders. At the same time, he pointed out that the prime minister has long been in a relationship with the Hlas-SD party. He reproached Šutaj Eštok for not being able to resist him as a party leader. He thinks that Fico should primarily deal with the Smer-SD ministries. According to him, he has full support in his party.
The discussion also touched upon the call of the coalition SNS to the prime minister to end cooperation with his advisor Miroslav Lajčák because of his communication with the American financier Jeffrey Epstein. Šutaj Eštok said that the decision is up to the prime minister. He does not think that Lajčák’s entire career should be called into question because of communication. “I would probably choose my advisors differently,” he stated. Šimečka pointed out that this is not a small matter. According to him, the prime minister should ask Lajčák for an explanation, and if the suspicions are confirmed, he has no business in office.
The PS leader also criticized the prime minister in connection with this week’s discussion with students in Poprad. “There is no need to lecture them and arrogantly send them to fight in Ukraine,” he scolded. He also doesn’t think it’s right for students to be “dragged” after police interrogations for expressing their opinion. Šutaj Eštok emphasized that the purpose of the discussion was a debate with people. He criticized Šimečka for having a double standard when judging the expression of opinions in a vulgar way.
Šimečka called on people to take part in Monday’s (November 17) rally and honor the memory of November 17. Šutaj Eštok appealed to people to behave decently at the gathering.
