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Fico: SDKU Wants to Lie to Its Voters About EFSF and Put Blame on Us
Thursday 01 July 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, July 1 (TASR) - A public statement from the Premier-designate Iveta Radicova (SDKU-DS) whether her finance minister will be prepared to sign the framework agreement is enough for unblocking the European safety net framework (European Financial Stability Facility/EFSF), said departing Prime Minister Robert Fico on Thursday.
Fico said this in reaction to Radicova's statements concerning this issue made earlier in the day. Radicova claimed that Fico (Smer-SD) has definitely blocked the signing of the EFSF even though he had the power to unblock it.
Slovakia was supposed to sign the EFSF, designed to aid eurozone member states that will be afflicted with financial troubles in the future, by Thursday. SDKU pointed out that Fico on one hand criticised the leaders of the centre-right coalition for their alleged unwillingness to discuss the matter, but on the other it was he who refused to come to the Presidential Palace to speak to premier-designate Iveta Radicova on Wednesday.
Fico, who has also accused the opposition-now coalition of 'defrauding' its supporters in that many programme promises had to be abandoned even before they take office just to be able to put together a programme acceptable to all four – has argued that Radicova refuses to make a clear statement on the framework, because the representatives from his party have labelled the EFSF a moral hazard and a bad solution earlier.
"To call and to ask Robert Fico to sign the EFSF means that Iveta Radicova and SDKU-DS want to cheat on their voters and at the same time put the blame on the departing Premier," said Fico's spokesperson Silvia Glendova.
Fico thinks that as a designate Premier, Radicova should publicly announce if they changed the opinion on the safety net framework, which would mean that Slovakia won't be facing any sanctions for blocking of this mechanism. "If Radicova and SDKU-DS claim that the decision about EFSF if irreversible, why were they promising their electorate they will refuse this irreversible decision," pondered Fico.
Radicova on Wednesday showed readiness to discuss Slovakia's next moves when it comes to signing the safety net framework agreement. "The political decision concerning the creation of a new EU guarantee mechanism is irreversible, and the new Government will therefore not block its setting-up," according to an SDKU statement provided to TASR, which further notes that negotiations will still take place on defining the guarantees inside the mechanism.
SDKU stresses that Fico will be responsible for any consequences. "Once again, he let it be shown that his political declarations are purpose-built and populist, and that he has no sound political attitude and no political programme whatsoever."
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