FORMER education minister Martin Fronc, who says a politician should be capable of self-reflection, was the most popular Christian Democrat at the meeting of the national council of the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH), which met prior to the party congress last week. Fronc has been a member of the KDH leadership since 2000, serving as deputy education minister between 1998 and 2002 and education minister from 2002 to 2006.
The Slovak Spectator (TSS): At the KDH council meeting you received more votes than both Vladimír Palko and the current KDH chairman, Pavol Hrušovský. How do you interpret your popularity within the party?
Martin Fronc (MF): A politician has to listen to people, and be capable of self-reflection. While most people say it was a mistake to have left the ruling coalition, I keep insisting that the KDH left because of important values, which conscientious objection undoubtedly is. [Ed. Note: The KDH left the former ruling coalition in 2006 over a disagreement on the treaty on conscientious objection.] On the other hand, a responsible politician must reflect on why we were not able to convince people that we made the right decision.
TSS: Peter Gabura has suggested you for the post of KDH chairman. Will you run?
MF: I surely will not run against Hrušovský. I visited many regions, and I explained to our members everywhere why, in the duel between Hrušovský and Palko, our current chairman is more acceptable for me. I still hold this position.
TSS: Observers say that the right wing is not united in Slovakia. Why is this? What are the main differences that have surfaced since the elections?
MF:Differences were already surfacing during the last term, and when we left the ruling coalition in 2006, these differences only reached a climax. I think Mikuláš Dzurinda made a mistake when he decided to settle his own problems within the party along with the whole "skupinka" (little group) situation, which weakened the whole coalition through his making some kind of silent pact with [Vladimir] Mečiar. He saved the government and undoubtedly did a lot for the country, but he practically lifted Mečiar up from a political floor, and made him presentable for Smer.
TSS: There is a tendency to see the KDH as a rather rigorous party, which is closing in ever more on its own problems.
MF: I do not think this is true; but you are right that this is often the perception. No political party, not even the KDH, can afford to go on with the upturned finger of a preacher and lecture constantly about what is right. There are other institutions in society that are meant to do this - especially churches. That is their mission.
