BRATISLAVA, September 20, (SITA) — Eighteen MPs of the liberal SaS party will not support the proposed increase in the lending capacity of the European Financial Stability Facility, party leader Richard Sulik confirmed to journalists and thus reaffirming party’s position on Tuesday. The party wanted to demonstrate its unity by participation of its eighteen deputies in the press meeting. Since the SaS party has not altered its position on the bailout fund, coalition partners had to pull out the strongest weapon, namely simultaneous vote of confidence or a discussion on early elections.
Sulik views merging the bailout fund vote with a confidence vote to be an attack against Prime Minister Iveta Radicova. SaS head cannot imagine Radicova supporting the merged vote as he considers her to be a person for whom the decency is the life principle and he cannot imagine her contributing to the former government of Robert Fico returning to power in any way. Sulik opines that discussions on the bailout fund is not proceeding on an objective level. He emphasized that coalition partners agree with most of SaS’ arguments. “As a matter of principle, we object to merging the vote because we consider it purpose-built,” There is no point in such vote. If they long for the bailout fund that much, they can team up with the opposition. We will not get involved in that,” said SaS chairman.
Sulik is curious about the alternative the coalition partners have to offer if they do no longer want to govern with SaS. “A year ago, our coalition partners were entrusted a mandate to govern this country because they pledged that they do not want to form a coalition with Robert Fico. Today, they are asking him in. What does that mean? The bailout fund has not been included in the government program statement. We are entitled to say “no”,” he emphasized.
SaS realizes consequences that the party may face for not supporting the bailout fund, but, as Sulik says, Europe has only been buying time paying dearly instead of actually been dealing with the problems themselves. “We will have to pay for that one day. “SaS does not want to play the waiting game,” he concluded.
Sulik thinks that a referendum is not a solution to the bailout fund considering the time left for the final decision to be made. “We do not consider a referendum to be an alternative for us right now,” said Sulik.
Sulik opines that expansion of the bailout fund is not just up to the coalition but the whole parliament. He is surprised how the coalition makes it all easier for SMER- SD by merging the bailout fund and a confidence vote. Head of SaS deputy caucus Jan Kollar says that since SMER will never vote to express its confidence in the government, the coalition will create space for the party to return to government and drown its last chance to support the bailout fund.
Sulik pointed out that Germany’s coalition will not support the European Stability Mechanism either although the opposition will uphold it. “The difference between Germany and Slovakia is that its opposition is not hiding its head in the sand there,” he said, calling the stance of the Slovak opposition buck passing. Sulik said that his party is even ready to step out of the association of European liberals if they exert pressure on them over the bailout fund.
Sulik does not understand Finance Minister Ivan Miklos saying parliament should decide on the fate of the EFSF by October 11, especially in connection with a potential resignation of the Slovenian government, which would delay the whole bailout fund approval process in this country. “It has been agreed that Slovakia would be the last country to vote on the bailout fund,“ stressed Sulik.
SITA