PRIME MINISTER Robert Fico and his government have successfully defended their current position on the political scene, the ruling Smer party vice-chair and Culture Minister Marek Maďarič said on news-only TV channel TA3's show 'V politike' on March 30 in the wake of Fico's resounding defeat in the presidential run-off vote.
Maďarič, who led the election campaign for Fico, rejected notions that Fico's defeat would have any impact on the government. He admitted that some reshuffles may indeed take place, but not as a result of the election result.
"If some changes indeed happen in the government, they won't come about over the result of the presidential elections. Rather, it may be that the premier sees some ministries in a different light midway through his term, but not in connection to the election," said Maďarič as quoted by the TASR newswire.
According to Maďarič, the number of votes for Fico is on a par with support for Smer party in latest opinion polls as well as with preferential votes for Fico in the 2012 general election. At the same time, he expressed his conviction that a number of Smer voters didn't go to the polls as they want to see Fico remain at the helm of the government.
By Maďarič’s own admission, whether some consequences should be drawn after Fico's lack of success in the face-off with president-elect Andrej Kiska should indeed be directed at him as head of Fico’s campaign team. Maďarič admitted that, given his position in the campaign, he bears "major responsibility for the election result".
He also said that the government will strive to have a standard relationship with the newly-elected president.
Source: TASR
Compiled by Michaela Terenzani from press reports.
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information
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