PRESIDENT Andrej Kiska accepted on July 3 the resignations of now former economy minister Tomáš Malatinský and education minister Dušan Čaplovič, who tendered their resignations the day before. At the same time, the president appointed Pavol Pavlis as the new economy minister and Peter Pellegrini as the new education minister.
Both departing ministers said they are leaving their posts in accordance with an agreement with Prime Minister Robert Fico, according to the SITA newswire.
The highest priority of the new Economy Minister will be seeking foreign investments.
“I would be disappointed if announced investments ended up in Hungary or the Czech Republic,” Pavlis said, as quoted by SITA. “My priority is to seek actively for those investments.”
Pavlis announced he would replace both state secretaries in his department.
“I have already selected one. As has been already announced, it will be Rastislav Chovanec,” Pavlis said, as quoted by SITA. “We are still negotiating on the second one, who should be in charge of the energy sector.”
The newly appointed education minister said that the first thing he will ask on his first day in the office on Friday, June 4, is whether there will be enough textbooks for schools in September. He pointed out that each year schools lack some of them.
Pellegrini said he wants to try in the negotiations on next year’s budget to raise teachers’ salaries in the coming year. He also wants to transform the education department into a modern, flexible and dynamic organisation and indicated that some personnel shuffling might take place, according to SITA.
Compiled by Spectator staff from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
