SLOVAKIA POLITICAL ROUNDUP, MARCH 17, 2006

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRATISLAVA 000214

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

STATE PLEASE PASS TO USTR FOR RDRISCOLL
TREASURY FOR CHGREWE
COMMERCE FOR MROGERS AND STIMMINS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/14/2016
TAGS: PGOV PHUM SMIG EFIN SOCI BO LO
SUBJECT: SLOVAKIA POLITICAL ROUNDUP, MARCH 17, 2006

REF: A. BRATISLAVA 111

B. BRATISLAVA 167

Classified By: Ambassador Rodolphe M. Vallee for Reasons 1.4 (B) and (D
).

ACADEMICS RALLY AROUND SMER
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1. (SBU) At a March 13 seminar held by the new
Smer-friendly ASA (Analysis, Strategy, Alternatives) think
tank to provide input on the development of Smer's social
policy programs, Slovakia's academics -- including the
Rectors of two of Slovakia's most prestigious universities --
gathered to decry the lack of funding for education, science,
and research and development (R&D). The academics drew from
dated material (data from 1997-2000) showing the decrease in
industry and state funded R&D, blaming the downward trends
begun by former PM Meciar on the current government. We
noted that many of the researchers assembled were formerly
close to SDKU, and may be "hedging their bets" by chumming up
to the party most likely to be in power in the future. In an
interesting twist, when Smer chairman Robert Fico arrived to
address the group he became the voice of moderation, telling
the academics that no party is against funding for research
and development and that the challenge is to identify
additional sources of funding.

FICO'S ECON GURU WANTS TO DELAY EURO
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2. (SBU) During a meeting with Peter Mihok, the President
of the Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry and rumored
Economy Minister-apparent if Fico becomes PM, Mihok told us
that Fico knows that Smer's economic reputation is very weak,
and that he established the ASA think tank along the same
model as SDKU's MESA 10. Fico hopes that ASA will provide a
platform for the development of enhanced economic and social
programs within the party.


3. (SBU) On the Euro, Mihok said that Smer's approach has
developed and changed over time, and that Fico now favors a
slight delay in the conversion to the common currency as it
would have a "negative psychological impact" on Slovaks whose
salaries would look much smaller when converted. Mihok
believes that Fico -- seeking to avoid this negative blow in
2009 (the year before an election) would likely delay
introduction of the Euro until after 2010; according to
Mihok, Slovakia under Fico will likely see Euro conversion in
2011 instead of 2009.

UNHCR: DUBLIN II WILL RESULT IN MORE CLAIMS OF ASYLEE ABUSE
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4. (SBU) Following allegations by Austrian human rights
groups that asylum seekers are mistreated and abused in
Slovak detention facilities, Pierfrancesco Maria Natta, the
representative of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR) in Bratislava, told us that most of the allegations
are "clearly untrue." According to Natta, the implementation
of the "Dublin II" agreement in Europe -- which calls for
intercepted aliens to be returned to the country of their
first asylum petition -- will result in a spate of such
allegations, as aliens who filed for asylum en route to
western European destinations attempt to avoid deportation.
While Natta says that isolated incidents of police abuse may
have occurred in the past, the NGO allegations of widespread
abuse - and even torture - are likely a result of Dublin II
going into affect.

EXTREMISTS TESTING NEW MINISTER OF INTERIOR
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5. (C) According to a source at the Ministry of the
Interior (ref B),Slovak extremist groups -- including
skinheads and the nationalist group Slovenska Pospolitost --
are "testing" caretaker Minister of Interior Martin Pado, and
are being bolstered by the lack of police response to their
actions. Despite recommendations from working-level Ministry
officials to crack down on planned extremist marches the
weekend of March 10, the Ministry failed to authorize or
deploy an effective response; as a result, a MOI source tells
us, several groups of skinheads "energized" by the rallies
took to the streets the night of March 10 in Bratislava and
Nitra, where they were involved in violent clashes with young
people resulting in several stabbings and serious injuries.


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6. (C) We raised our concerns about this trend with an SDKU
MP close to the new Minister and his cabinet. He told us
that he thinks skinheads are not a problem because they only
attack "gypsies" and fight amongst themselves; he shocked us
with the attitude that skinhead violence in Slovakia is "not
a problem" for the average Slovak and was very defensive when
asserting that no additional measures needed to be taken.
(COMMENT: Fortunately, this MP will not run for re-election
in June. In an upcoming meeting, the Ambassador will be
pressing the Minister for greater activism on this issue.
END COMMENT)


7. (U) Slovenska Pospolitost leader Marian Kotleba defended
his extremist group's marches in tribute of Josef Tiso, the
leader of Slovakia's fascist wartime state, telling
journalists that "no one" took as good care of the Slovaks as
Tiso.

DZURINDA WANTS TO HEAD EU COMMISSION?
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8. (SBU) A SDKU MP told us recently that Dzurinda -- aware
of the possibility that the June 17 elections could end his
tenure as PM -- has been meeting with European leaders to
garner support for his possible candidacy for head of the EU
Commission.

SLOVAKIA TO BRING BELARUSIAN STUDENTS ON STUDY TRIPS
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9. (SBU) As part of Slovakia's long-term efforts to promote
democratic processes in Belarus, the Ministries of Foreign
Affairs and Education will begin hosting Belarusian graduate
students -- particularly law students -- for study visits.
The GOS currently plans to bring through three groups of 15
students for three month visits beginning in September.
VALLEE