Smer’s state secretaries dominate

The biggest coalition party Smer will have 15 state secretaries at 13 ministries.

The new governmentThe new government (Source: TASR)

The four coalition parties – Smer, the Slovak National Party (SNS), Most-Híd and Sieť – have nearly completed the list of new state secretaries. The only department where one post is empty is the Health Ministry, the Sme daily reported.

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Though state secretary posts are usually used to cross-check the ministries, the biggest coalition party Smer has nominated 15 people who will work at 13 departments. Moreover, the Economy Ministry will be fully under its control as the party nominated the minister as well as state secretaries.

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Read also: New government meets for first time, appoints state secretaries Read more 

The coalition parties Most-Híd and Sieť even cannot control the work of the Ministries of Interior, Finance and Foreign Affairs as they will not have their nominees there, Sme wrote.

One of the biggest surprises was the nomination of Lukáš Parízek, whom SNS proposes for the post of state secretary at the Foreign Affairs Ministry. The only thing known to the media is that he graduated from a school in Moscow four years ago.

Moreover, Smer nominated former spokesperson of PM Robert Fico, Erik Tomáš, to serve as state secretary at the Education Ministry, though the coalition agreements stipulate that the post should be filled by an SNS candidate, Sme reported.

 

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