BRATISLAVA, June 23, (WEBNOVINY) — Dusan Caplovic of the opposition SMER-SD parliamentary caucus declared on Thursday that the behavior of Interior Minister Daniel Lipsic and representatives of the liberal SaS party, who did not vote in the Cabinet favor of extending the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) and also refused to support creating the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) on Wednesday, was „sheer populism.” “It is important to understand that the coalition should tidy up its own ranks and reject populism,” stated Caplovic at Thursday’s session of the Parliamentary Committee for European Affairs. Caplovic added that we should not throw all Greeks into the same basket. His party colleague Brano Ondrus spoke about populism as well: he considers the issues connected to Greece to be the tool of populism for right-wing parties. On the other hand, OKS MP Peter Osusky from the MOST-HID caucus considers pouring funds into state-owned railway freight company Cargo populism. According to him, both issues are about money. Yet, while they (SMER-SD) were spending, he wants to save. “I will back such populism,” announced Osusky, who can not imagine any scenario for Greece other than controlled default.
Prime Minister Iveta Radicova underlined that immiscible issues are being mixed together. “The loan to Greece is something Slovakia is not participating in. The decision on the fifth tranche is being made, but Slovakia is not participating in it,” Radicova said. She, however, continued, that the issue, which is currently being decided upon is the situation of the European Central Bank, which also influences Slovakia. According to the prime minister, the time has come for Europe to take care of itself. The ESM is to function according to the same rules as the International Monetary Fund, of which Slovakia is a member. Radicova said that Slovak Parliament could decide on extending the EFSF until the end of 2011 and on creating ESM until the end of 2012.
Iveta Radicova’s Cabinet approved the agreements on European financial stability mechanisms this Wednesday. According to them, Slovak participation in the European Financial Stability Facility (EFSF) should increase and a permanent European Stability Mechanism II (ESM II), where states would also send cash, should be created. Liberal SaS ministers and conservative KDH Interior Minister Daniel Lipsic did not support the agreements, which, according to her, gives Prime Minister Radicova a mandate from the majority of the Cabinet, yet she can not guarantee adoption of the treaties by parliament.
SITA