Smer considers the result of the runoffs in the regional elections a success, said Prime Minister and party chairman Robert Fico, as reported by the SITA newswire.
Fico pointed out that the governing coalition defeated its opposition parties 7:1 for the posts of president in the eight regional governments. Two weeks ago four candidates for the regional top positions supported by Smer won in the first round.
“Smer is the clear winner of these elections,” Fico said, as quoted by SITA. He also stated that the party wants to build its position on the basis of these results and also appreciated the number of deputies in regional parliaments that his party won in the first round of the elections.
“Cooperation between the state government and regions is extraordinarily important,” he said.
Fico admitted that mistakes were made in the Bratislava Region where according to unofficial results the winner is the candidate of the opposition parties, Pavol Frešo.
“There was a mistake in the campaign,” he said and remarked that the party would draw certain conclusions from that, without specifying further. “You will see soon, there will also be some personnel decisions.”
The winner of the election in the Banská Bystrica Region is Vladimír Maňka, who is also a member of the European Parliament. According to Fico, receiving a mandate in Slovakia’s regional government is more important than working in the European Parliament, SITA wrote.
Compiled by Michaela Stanková from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
