SLOVAK President Ivan Gašparovič has expressed surprise at the outcome of the second round of the regional elections in Banská Bystrica Region (BBSK), and sees it as a warning.
"It's an appeal to politicians to cease being indifferent to issues that have long plagued the citizens. Disappointed voters are forced to seek help from persons and parties without real programmes, that harness votes by spreading extremism and populism," said Gašparovič, as quoted by TASR.
Meanwhile, the official candidates for the presidential chair in the upcoming 2014 presidential election agree that politicians blaming each other is not a solution.
Independent candidate Radoslav Procházka said that the election results show the start of a new phase in Slovak politics.
“In Banská Bystrica, the loser of the elections is one whole political generation, which, even face to face with its own failure, cannot do more than self-deception and mutual blaming,” Procházka said, as quoted by SITA.
Another independent candidate, Andrej Kiska, said that Kotleba’s victory is a failure of national and regional politicians who are now blaming each other instead of reflecting on what they have done wrong, SITA wrote.
Christian Democrat (KDH) Pavol Hrušovský said that extremism cannot be a solution to social problems.
“Slovakia has made it to the crossroads where it ought to refuse extremism,” he said, as quoted by SITA, adding that politicians should unite in solving the problems of unemployment, low living standards and Roma issues, rather than blame each other.
Source: TASR, SITA
Compiled by Michaela Terenzani from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
