The Smer leader wants to hasten government creation to be able to attend the European Council Summit in October, which will bring him face-to-face with leaders who called for his suspension from the Party of European Socialists, according to a letter sent to the PES presidency.
“We call for the outcome of the Slovak elections to be addressed at the next meeting of the PES presidency, as well as for a clear line to be drawn that any member of the party who goes into a coalition with the far right will, at the very least, have their membership suspended,” reads a letter sent to PES presidency, which according to Aktuality.sk was also signed by German social democrats, among other EU socialists.
The October meeting will bring together EU leaders, some of which did not hold back in their criticism against Fico and called for the Party of European Socialists (PES) to take action for cooperating with the far right, including Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa.
The preliminary agenda for October’s Summit includes issues such as Ukraine and migration, which could set the tone for Fico’s EU tenure. During a press conference after signing a memorandum with Hlas and the Slovak National Party, Fico referenced migration as a key issue.
“I want to assure you that we will do our utmost to ensure that the relevant security forces of the state deal with this threat because protecting citizens from illegal migration is a national interest of the Slovak Republic,” Fico said.
In the past, Fico said he would “restore controls at border crossings so that not a single foot of an illegal migrant enters Slovakia.” He has also criticised the EU’s New Pact on Migration and Asylum.
Regarding Ukraine, he criticised the sanctions as ineffective and called for all arms deliveries to Ukraine to be stopped.
(Barbara Zmušková | Euractiv.sk)
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