THE leader of the European People's Party-European Democracy (EPP-ED), Hans-Gert Poettering, expressed his concerns on June 30 over the fact that the Slovak National Party (SNS) will form part of the new Slovak government, TASR wrote.
According to Poettering, the SNS is "known abroad and in Slovakia for its xenophobic and ultra-nationalist opinions on ethnic minorities, especially Hungarians and the Roma".
"I'm shocked that the most extremist xenophobic party will be part of the new government. This development can't be justified by the lack of suitable partners in the Slovak parliament, and it can only harm the real interests of Slovakia. It will certainly threaten the principal political, economic and social progress that has been achieved under [incumbent Prime Minister] Mikuláš Dzurinda," said the head of the largest political group in the European Parliament.
At the same time, Poettering's bloc has strongly criticised Smer’s attacks on the reforms introduced by the previous government.