Slovakia’s ruling coalition has not found agreement on support for the European bailout mechanism, the European Financial Stabilisation Fund (ESFS), that assists eurozone countries with sovereign debt crises, and there is talk about the possibility of the government falling, the Sme daily reported. Leaders of the ruling coalition have been striving to find a way to resolve the vote on the EFSF but have not done so thus far.
The Slovak Democratic and Christian Union (SDKÚ), the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) and Most-Híd parties failed to persuade the fourth party of the coalition, Freedom and Solidarity (SaS), to agree to an increase in the financial resources available to the EFSF or for approval of its successor, the ESM. The parties’ Coalition Council held a meeting on the evening of September 12 in Častá-Papiernička in which dissolution of the coalition was mentioned, according to Sme, which also reported that the talks continued until late at night and the discussion on the EFSF was connected with a no-confidence vote on the government.
Opposition party Smer, via its vice-chair Peter Kažimír, told Sme that his opinion is that SaS will not change its stance on the ESFS and that the party intends to go into opposition. Smer had earlier said that it was supportive of the EFSF but would vote for it only if all coalition MPs vote for it. Coalition MPs discussed further steps with Prime Minister Iveta Radičová and government officials for more than five hours, Sme wrote.
SaS vice-chair Juraj Miškov said that its coalition partners have been backing away from the condition of connecting the vote on the EFSF with a no-confidence vote in the government. He confirmed, however, that SaS will not retreat from its position as the party considers it a matter of principle.
Sme wrote that MPs were reportedly asked not to talk to journalists. But unofficially they admitted they had tried to convince SaS that there were several compromise solutions such as supporting the EFSF without giving a further loan to Greece but that SaS did not react to the proposal.
Source: Sme
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
