BRATISLAVA, September 18, (WEBNOVINY) – Chairman of the Christian Democratic Movement (KDH) Jan Figel admitted on Sunday that the vote on the bailout fund mechanisms may mean the end of the ruling coalition. In a political debate program Na Telo of the private television Markiza, he explained that the government has expressed its support for the EU financial rescue mechanism and could not just simply accept the parliament’s voting, if the government’s position was not approved by the majority of deputies. The KDH party is, however, not considering early elections. Figel pointed out that the bailout fund is not about Greece, but about the euro. He is sorry that the SaS party does not understand it. The KDH leader considers support for the bailout fund a significant matter of credibility of the Slovak government. „If Sulik understands it, he will look for arguments to change his position,“ Figel said with regard to the opposition of the SaS party, led by Richard Sulik. He added that Slovakia should not block the bailout fund. He sees space for negotiations of the ruling coalition partners on the topic in particular with Slovak President Ivan Gasparovic.
Leader of the opposition SMER-SD and former prime minister Robert Fico criticized the governing parties for turning down his offer to discuss the bailout fund issues. According to Fico, not approving the proposed changes to the financial rescue programs may lead to collapse of German and French economies, and thus mean the end of Volkswagen’s and Peugeot’s plants in Slovakia. This would cause a shortfall of revenues and significantly higher joblessness rate in Slovakia, Fico pointed out.
SITA