Climate change denying minister nominee calls for Slovexit referendum

Rudolf Huliak, whose nomination for agri-chief was contested by Zuzana Čaputová, said he would attempt to initiate a referendum for Slovakia’s exit from both EU and NATO, but first, his fate is to be decided on Monday.

Čaputová refused to accept Huliak’s nomination for minister of environment due to his climate change denialism and history of aggression towards activists. Huliak’s foreign policy comments during a TV debate left leaders of the upcoming coalition scrambling to distance themselves.

“We will insist on a clear anchoring of Slovakia in NATO and the EU in the government’s programme statement,” Peter Pellegrini, leader of Hlas and candidate for speaker of parliament, said as a comment on Huliak’s statement. In the past, Pellegrini said his party would leave the cabinet of Robert Fico if the country changed the course of foreign policy.

The referendum for EU and NATO exit was a campaign promise of the far-right party Republika, which narrowly missed out on the parliament. Previous attempts to organise similar referendums were unsuccessful.

Even Huliak’s Slovak National Party said they are for EU “reform” and that his quote does not represent their official position. But Fico backed the candidate and criticised the president for refusing his nomination.

Fico will hold meetings on Monday with the nationalists to decide the fate of Huliak’s nomination. Huliak said he would file a constitutional complaint against Čaputová for not appointing him. Čaputová said she was waiting for a new name for the Ministry of Environment and wanted to appoint the full government.

If Monday’s meeting proves fruitful and Fico can make a deal with the nationalists on a new name for the envi-chief, his hopes of attending Thursday’s Council could still narrowly come true. Pellegrini said he expects the new government to be appointed on Wednesday, the day of the first sitting of the new parliament.

(Barbara Zmušková | Euractiv.sk)