BRATISLAVA, June 11, (WEBNOVINY) — The idea of the opposition KDH chairman Jan Figel to form a „Popular Platform“, that would serve for former coalition partners KDH, SDKU-DS and MOST-HID to seek common views on European issues, has found a positive response in MOST-HID and in SDKU-DS. „We welcome the idea, it will be beneficial for all,“ said MOST-HID parliamentary faction leader Laszlo Solymos for SITA news agency. SDKU-DS leader Pavol Freso expressed a similar opinion. „It is natural when all the national members of the modern European People’s Party want to have equal positions on European issues,“ he wrote in a statement to the media.
KDH and SDKU-DS are members of the European People’s Party (EPP) and MOST-HID is striving for membership. However, its membership will require approval of all current members from the given country, hence also SMK, which is presumably not very sympathetic to the idea. According to Solymos, the parties have not yet discussed SMK support for their EPP membership. SMK Chairman Jozsef Berenyi said he was unsure whether MOST-HID meets the profile of a conservative people’s party. „Their program is rather liberal,“ he said.
On Sunday on the television news channel TA3, KDH Chairman Jan Figel explained that his proposal for the popular platform was not intended to merge the parties, but for effective cooperation of the center-right opposition. Solymos perceives the proposed platform as a forum for three opposition parties whose values are very close, but it will not prevent cooperation with the remaining parties.
SITA