The letter to Prime Minister Robert Fico (Smer-SD) with an offer for personnel exchange in the government is a raised finger for the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Environment Tomáš Taraba (SNS nominee). SNS head Andrej Danko said this at Thursday’s press conference. He wants to meet with Tarab, claims that he has received and will receive the terms of cooperation with SNS. Danko emphasized that the SNS will not overthrow the government.
- The letter to the Prime Minister offering a personnel exchange is a warning to Taraba.
- Danko threatens to propose the dismissal of Tarabo if the rules are not explained.
- Six members of the SNS and two state secretaries openly support Danko.
- Danko insists that SNS will not overthrow the government despite the disputes.
- Fico rejects the reconstruction of the government, but describes Taraba as a capable minister.
“This is a raised finger. If we do not clarify the rules of the relationship between the SNS and the Deputy Prime Minister on Thursday, the Prime Minister will receive an official motion to dismiss Minister Taraba with the signatures of MPs who support my opinion.” declared Danko. He claims that he is supported by six members of parliament for the SNS, as well as state secretaries of the environmental department Filip Kuffa and Štefan Kuffa. If Fico considers Taraba a good minister, but Danko does not know how to work with him politically, Danko will ask the prime minister to make Taraba the nominee of Smer-SD. similar to what happened in the case of Minister of Tourism and Sports Rudolf Huliak. Taraba was invited by Danko to the meeting of the presidency of the SNS, which will take place in a week on Thursday (May 28).
Danko repeated that Taraba cannot claim that SNS is responsible for the zoning proposal, because it was prepared for the last six months by the party’s nominee, general secretary of the service office at the environmental department, Marek Chovan. Danko emphasized that he does not know about zoning or other topics from the department. “SNS will not overthrow this government. If anyone thinks that some differences of opinion and my personal disappointments with Robert Fico will bring down this government, I will disappoint them in advance,” said Danko. He regrets that Fico has not matured as a politician to the point that it is not enough to win elections, but also to “know how to treat his coalition partners.”
Unless relations in the coalition are resolved, government matters may not pass in parliament, according to Danek. “So I’m going to ask that the vote on some things be postponed until we get some clarity,” added the head of the SNS.
The Prime Minister declared on Thursday that the reconstruction of the government is not going to happen. He therefore has no reason to directly deal with the proposal of Danko, who offered to exchange Tarab. Fico respects this proposal. If the SNS would clarify the proposal that it insists on Tarab’s dismissal, the prime minister would demand a guarantee of the continuation of the functional majority in the parliament. He understands that the CIS is dealing with internal political issues, but changes cannot lead to a political crisis or a threat to the functioning of the government. Fico considers Taraba a capable minister.
