Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05BRATISLAVA315
2005-04-20 08:27:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Bratislava
Cable title:
SLOVAKIA POLITICAL ROUNDUP APRIL 20, 2005
how-toThis record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000315
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV LO UP NATO
SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA POLITICAL ROUNDUP APRIL 20, 2005
REF: BRATISLAVA 218
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED -- PROTECT ACCORDINGLY
Reopening the Coalition Agreement on Minister Positions?
--------------------------------------------- -----------
UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000315
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV LO UP NATO
SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA POLITICAL ROUNDUP APRIL 20, 2005
REF: BRATISLAVA 218
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED -- PROTECT ACCORDINGLY
Reopening the Coalition Agreement on Minister Positions?
-------------- --------------
1. (U) ANO leader and Minister of Economy Pavol Rusko
announced April 11 that State Secretary of the Education
Ministry Frantisek Toth (ANO) will resign his post and take
up the position of Culture Minister currently held by Rudolf
Chmel (ANO). Toth's replacement at the Education Ministry is
still undefined and Chmel's political future is
uncertain.Education Minister Martin Fronc (KDH) demanded
April 9 that his subordinate resign after Toth publicly
stated that the draft law on education is poor and
antiquated. In a different vein, Culture Minister Chmel has
clashed with his party on the controversial funding of the
unfinished Slovak National Theater building.
2. (U) The move may reopen debate on the Coalition Agreement
that determines which parties hold Minister and State
Secretary positions. Rusko called for a second State
SIPDIS
Secretary position at the Ministry of Culture, saying there
SIPDIS
is a great deal of work to be done at the Culture Ministry
and the Education Minister has said the State Secretary
position at the Ministry of Education is unnecessary. Bela
Bugar, SMK leader, reacted negatively saying that this move
would weaken the current state secretary at the Culture
Ministry (currently held by SMK) and is unjustified in such a
small ministry. ANO is also considering withdrawing
Transportation Ministry State Secretary Mikulas Kacaljak due
to his eight million crown debt to the Social Insurance
Company.
3. (U) Some commentators and important ministers such as FM
Eduard Kukan and Justice Minister Daniel Lipsic have
suggested drawing ministers and state secretaries from the
same party. The system of cross-appointments at ministries
was adopted for the sake of transparency in 1998 after
Vladimir Meciar,s government was voted out of office. The
Coalition Agreement states precisely from which party a
minister or state secretary should come. Such a move would
require revamping the Coalition Agreement one year before
parliamentary elections, and could cause public uproar.
Apology for 1945 Benes Decrees Debated
--------------
4. (SBU) SMK leader Bela Bugar supports reopening discussion
on the 1945 Benes Decrees. The Decrees caused the
deportation and stripping of citizenship of thousands of
ethnic Germans and Hungarians living on Czechoslovak soil at
the end of World War II. Bela Bugar said Slovakia and
Hungary should apologize to one another if it is proved that
they harmed the other: &It is not possible to forget about
an era in our history when several hundreds of thousands of
people were punished only due to their nationality. We
should close this chapter, but we should do it together,8
Bugar said in a TV debate. Bugar refused to link this topic
with upcoming regional elections. Smer leader Robert Fico
said Bugar,s statement is not in line with Slovakia,s
foreign policy and Fico said Bugar should reconsider the
appropriateness of asking his own government to apologize to
Hungarians for actions taken by the transitional post-WWII
Czechoslovak government in 1945-48. COMMENT: Bugar's comment
adds fuel to the fire of the State Secretary at the Hungarian
MFA's comments that the Benes Decrees problem has not been
resolved. PM Dzurinda canceled his meeting with Hungarian PM
Gyurcsany after this episode. END COMMENT.
GOS Funds to Scrap Ukrainian Weapons
--------------
5. (U) The GOS will provide more than one million crowns
(35,500 USD) for the scrapping of weapons and ammunition in
Ukraine. The MFA announced this aid will send &a positive
signal to the new administration of President Viktor
Yushchenko." The MFA has indicated publicly that the GOS
hopes this will draw attention to the current political and
security situation in Ukraine and the surplus weapons and
ammunition in the country.
THAYER
NNNN
SIPDIS
SENSITIVE
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV LO UP NATO
SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA POLITICAL ROUNDUP APRIL 20, 2005
REF: BRATISLAVA 218
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED -- PROTECT ACCORDINGLY
Reopening the Coalition Agreement on Minister Positions?
-------------- --------------
1. (U) ANO leader and Minister of Economy Pavol Rusko
announced April 11 that State Secretary of the Education
Ministry Frantisek Toth (ANO) will resign his post and take
up the position of Culture Minister currently held by Rudolf
Chmel (ANO). Toth's replacement at the Education Ministry is
still undefined and Chmel's political future is
uncertain.Education Minister Martin Fronc (KDH) demanded
April 9 that his subordinate resign after Toth publicly
stated that the draft law on education is poor and
antiquated. In a different vein, Culture Minister Chmel has
clashed with his party on the controversial funding of the
unfinished Slovak National Theater building.
2. (U) The move may reopen debate on the Coalition Agreement
that determines which parties hold Minister and State
Secretary positions. Rusko called for a second State
SIPDIS
Secretary position at the Ministry of Culture, saying there
SIPDIS
is a great deal of work to be done at the Culture Ministry
and the Education Minister has said the State Secretary
position at the Ministry of Education is unnecessary. Bela
Bugar, SMK leader, reacted negatively saying that this move
would weaken the current state secretary at the Culture
Ministry (currently held by SMK) and is unjustified in such a
small ministry. ANO is also considering withdrawing
Transportation Ministry State Secretary Mikulas Kacaljak due
to his eight million crown debt to the Social Insurance
Company.
3. (U) Some commentators and important ministers such as FM
Eduard Kukan and Justice Minister Daniel Lipsic have
suggested drawing ministers and state secretaries from the
same party. The system of cross-appointments at ministries
was adopted for the sake of transparency in 1998 after
Vladimir Meciar,s government was voted out of office. The
Coalition Agreement states precisely from which party a
minister or state secretary should come. Such a move would
require revamping the Coalition Agreement one year before
parliamentary elections, and could cause public uproar.
Apology for 1945 Benes Decrees Debated
--------------
4. (SBU) SMK leader Bela Bugar supports reopening discussion
on the 1945 Benes Decrees. The Decrees caused the
deportation and stripping of citizenship of thousands of
ethnic Germans and Hungarians living on Czechoslovak soil at
the end of World War II. Bela Bugar said Slovakia and
Hungary should apologize to one another if it is proved that
they harmed the other: &It is not possible to forget about
an era in our history when several hundreds of thousands of
people were punished only due to their nationality. We
should close this chapter, but we should do it together,8
Bugar said in a TV debate. Bugar refused to link this topic
with upcoming regional elections. Smer leader Robert Fico
said Bugar,s statement is not in line with Slovakia,s
foreign policy and Fico said Bugar should reconsider the
appropriateness of asking his own government to apologize to
Hungarians for actions taken by the transitional post-WWII
Czechoslovak government in 1945-48. COMMENT: Bugar's comment
adds fuel to the fire of the State Secretary at the Hungarian
MFA's comments that the Benes Decrees problem has not been
resolved. PM Dzurinda canceled his meeting with Hungarian PM
Gyurcsany after this episode. END COMMENT.
GOS Funds to Scrap Ukrainian Weapons
--------------
5. (U) The GOS will provide more than one million crowns
(35,500 USD) for the scrapping of weapons and ammunition in
Ukraine. The MFA announced this aid will send &a positive
signal to the new administration of President Viktor
Yushchenko." The MFA has indicated publicly that the GOS
hopes this will draw attention to the current political and
security situation in Ukraine and the surplus weapons and
ammunition in the country.
THAYER
NNNN