FORMER PM DZURINDA ON KOSOVO, RUSSIA, SLOVAK

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRATISLAVA 000306

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/17/2015
TAGS: PREL PGOV YI KO RU UNSC PHUM LO
SUBJECT: FORMER PM DZURINDA ON KOSOVO, RUSSIA, SLOVAK
POLITICS

REF: BRATISLAVA 270

Classified By: Ambassador Rodolphe M. Vallee for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
)


1. (C) Summary. Former PM Mikulas Dzurinda discussed Russia,
Kosovo and domestic politics in an informal meeting with
Ambassador on May 19. Dzurinda said he will continue to
criticize PM Fico for his Russophile leanings, but
acknowledged the Slovak public is not bothered. He decisively
dismissed rumors he might eventually bring his SDKU party
into the governing coalition. Dzurinda believes Serbia must
be given time to accept a plan for Kosovo, lest it be drawn
closer to Russia and away from the EU. End summary.


2. (C) Dzurinda intends to stay engaged on Kosovo although he
did not/not say he planned any assault on the Fico
government's current stance in the UNSC. Dzurinda argued the
Ahtisaari plan will drive Serbia closer to the Russians, who
don't want Serbia in NATO. Serbia must be invited into EU
structures, and convinced to "be kind" to Kosovo. The
inevitable division, based on mutual interest, can come in
the future. Dzurinda likened such a pattern to the break-up
of Czechoslovakia. Ambassador did not discuss the current
UNSC deliberations lest Dzurinda get ideas for an
intervention, but did vigorously repeat arguments in favor of
the Kosovo final settlement envisioned by Ahtisaari.


3. (C) Dzurinda characterized Fico's tendency to act as a
spokesman for the Russians as "a little bit dangerous."
Dzurinda reminded the Ambassador that he has spoken strongly
and publicly against such behavior, most recently in a
televised debate with HZDS Chairman Vladimir Meciar. Dzurinda
said the USG should be more aggressive in criticizing Fico.
(Comment. This would obviously serve SDKU's strategy of
isolating Fico -- we'll stick to tough private messages for
now. End comment.) In response to a question from the
Ambassador, Dzurinda acknowledged that the average Slovak
does not care much about Fico's pro-Russia tilt. Dzurinda
intends to go to Russia to meet with "Other Russia" leader
Gary Kasparov and former PM Mikhail Kasyanov.

THE INTERNAL POLITICAL SCENE
--------------

4. (C) Dzurinda spoke privately with Meciar for over an hour
after the debate. According to Dzurinda, Meciar was
concerned by rumors that SDKU is prepared to go into
coalition with Fico. Dzurinda told Meciar there were things
that were possible and things that were crazy -- and going
with Fico was crazy. Relieved, Meciar said he wanted to push
Fico more, but was wary of Dzurinda defecting to Fico.
Dzurinda said he told Meciar to push all he wanted -- the
more the better -- and drive Fico crazy.


5. (C) Dzurinda noted that while SNS Chairman Jan Slota
continues to play the "let's get rich" game, Meciar has all
the money he wants and is not personally playing that game
within the new government. What Meciar really craves is
western acceptance, which he will never get with Fico and
Slota. Dzurinda approved of Post's policy of not meeting
with Meciar or Slota, noting that once we did, a certain
level of acceptance would occur.


6. (C) Dzurinda noted that Slota's arrogance has made him
sloppy and said SDKU is watching like a hawk for signs of
corruption. Dzurinda suggested Fico too may be engaging in
corrupt activities. He mentioned Mr. Kino, a former HzDS
privatizer and now Smer sponsor, who told Dzurinda that he
had paid to fix up Fico's personal chalet. In addition,
Dzurinda claims Fico is known to ask his sponsors, after a
few drinks, "how come you are rich and I am not." (Comment.
Separately, HzDS Deputy Chairman Milan Urbani told the
Ambassador that all funds flow through Smer, which takes a
cut of everything. End comment.)


7. (C) Dzurinda said he will not be able to gauge the
Christian Democratic Movement's (KDH's) willingness to work
with Meciar (and SDKU and the ethnic Hungarian SMK) until
after the June KDH convention. Anyway, as long as Fico is
still popular, Meciar doesn't see any alternate coalition as
a viable option. Further, with Meciar playing spoiler on
some of Fico's initiatives (i.e., the new labor code, single
payer health insurance),Dzurinda believes he can preserve
the bulk of his reforms without having to prematurely bring
down Fico's government. Dzurinda believes current KDH
Chairman Hrusovsky has a 5/4 chance of winning his party's
leadership contest. Dzurinda believes that HzDS Deputy
Chairman Veteska was encouraged to run against Meciar by
Fico, and that a Veteska victory would solidify the party's
connection to Smer. But Dzurinda has no doubt Meciar will
crush him, and Veteska's political career is over. (See

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reftel on HzDS leadership contest.)


8. (C) Ambassador raised concerns about the treatment of
Hedviga Malinova, an ethnic Hungarian student who has now
been formally charged with filing a false report to police in
connection with an ethnically-motivated attack last August.
Becoming very animated, Dzurinda said three separate times,
"Be very careful with this." Dzurinda noted that right after
the attack he had, unknown to Fico, a private meeting with
Police Chief Packa, and the Chief was unswerving in his
conviction that Hedviga was lying. "Listen, I have every
motivation to attack the government if this is true, but we
are very unsure. We must wait for the trial and the facts."
VALLEE