RULING coalition leaders Robert Fico (Smer), Ján Slota (Slovak National Party, SNS) and Vladimír Mečiar (Movement for Democratic Slovakia, HZDS) met over lunch in Trenčín on November 25 to discuss current problems between them.
Following a meeting last week of the coalition council, a senior government body comprising the three men, the weekend luncheon was the second time the leaders had met within a few days after not having formally talked since September.
"The talks focused on what wasn’t discussed - due to lack of time - at the coalition council meeting on November 22, such as the future of M.R. Štefánik Airport in Bratislava," said Prime Minister Fico.
A day later, on November 26, the three leaders met again at an informal lunch in Košice. The three politicians wanted to talk without media attention, Fico's spokesperson Silvia Glendová told the Pravda daily.
"I don't know what is so unusual about us having lunch. If this is a crime, then punish us for it. However, I think the media receive all the information they need to receive," Fico said.
"The government must govern in this country, which is why I'm not a big fan of frequent coalition council meetings. We will behave in this spirit in the future as well. I prefer informal meetings to organising coalition council meetings and pretending that the council is the most important executive body in the country," Fico said.
According to the prime minister, the "friendly working Fico-Slota-Mečiar lunch" took up the possibilities for fast-tracking the construction of highways, as well as foreign policy. Fico added that the lunch had brought the three men closer on many topics.
