Slovak News Back to the news
Fico: I'm Interested in Co-operation with New Hungarian Premier Orban
Monday 12 April 2010 Zoom in | Print page
Bratislava, April 12 (TASR) - Slovak Premier Robert Fico speaking at the Annual Conference on Slovak Foreign Policy on Monday expressed interest in co-operation with the new Hungarian government emerging from the general election there this month.
The Viktor Orban-led centre-right Fidesz-Hungarian Civic Union recorded a sweeping victory in the first round on Sunday, garnering 52.7 percent of the vote. Fidesz was followed by the Socialists (19.3 percent), the far-right Jobbik-Movement for a Better Hungary (16.7 percent) and a new party called Politics Can Be Different (7.4 percent).
"It still holds what I said in the past: I'm ready to meet my Hungarian counterpart whenever, wherever and discuss anything that concerns our mutual interests as neighbours and members of NATO and the EU," said Fico, who praised the co-operation enjoyed with outgoing premier Gordon Bajnai.
Hungary, which has a complicated election system that features both proportional representation and first-across-the-post voting, is to hold the second round of the parliamentary elections on April 25, which will decide on the final shape of the parliament. The vote is set to take place in 57 one-mandate districts, in which no candidates received the absolute majority (in the first-across-the-post vote). The second round will also decide whether Fidesz will gain a two-thirds majority in the Parliament, which will enable it to change constitutional laws alone.
All rights reserved. Any publishing or further dissemination of press releases and photographs from TASR's resources without TASR's prior written approval constitutes a violation of the Copyrights Act.
