Radičová says decision on EU guarantee mechanism is irreversible

The incoming government has inherited a political decision concerning the creation of a new EU guarantee mechanism that is designed to give a helping hand to countries that find themselves in financial trouble and that decision is irreversible, said Prime Minister-designate Iveta Radičová of the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ) at a meeting with Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič on June 30, the TASR newswire reported.

The incoming government has inherited a political decision concerning the creation of a new EU guarantee mechanism that is designed to give a helping hand to countries that find themselves in financial trouble and that decision is irreversible, said Prime Minister-designate Iveta Radičová of the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ) at a meeting with Slovak President Ivan Gašparovič on June 30, the TASR newswire reported.

Radičová said the new government is prepared to lead responsible talks in Brussels and in the Slovak parliament. It currently does not have any authority to articulate any guarantees for the successful ratification of the framework agreement. The meeting in the Presidential Palace, initiated by Gašparovič, was initially supposed to be attended by current Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico but he excused himself, TASR wrote.

July 1 stands as a deadline for Slovakia to sign the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF), designed to aid EU-member states with financial troubles in the future. Radičová explained she cannot give any guarantees on behalf of MPs in connection with the ratification process, which also has to be signed by the head of state. She added that shortly after the new government is appointed, there will be talks concerning the mechanism in Brussels, as well as in Slovak parliament.

According to Most-Híd vice-chair Zsolt Simon, the EFSF was a pre-election problem. “As far as the EU guarantee mechanism is concerned, the binding stance was provided by (current Prime Minister) Robert Fico's government and his Finance Minister Ján Počiatek,” said Simon.

“We asked for a parliamentary session concerning the loan to Greece, to which the issue of the guarantee mechanism has been added. If the parliamentary session had taken place and the minister had given some information about the guarantee mechanism, the situation would have been totally different,” said Simon.

Simon said Fico “rejected and forbade a parliamentary session concerning the loan to Greece and the guarantee mechanism”, adding that he sees this as a “step in conflict with Slovakia's interests”, as, according to him, the government already had information that this would not be only about the Greek loan.

Source: TASR

Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.

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