THE BUZZ: MOSQUITO INFESTATION GETS POLITICAL

UNCLAS BRATISLAVA 000333 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KPAO TBIO SENV LO SUBJECT: THE BUZZ: MOSQUITO INFESTATION GETS POLITICAL ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: After weeks of rain and days of sun, a mosquito infestation of seemingly Biblical proportions descended on Slovakia in July. While the conversation about the infestation has been mostly confined to idle chatter among residents, the discussion was elevated to the political arena when Prime Minister Fico announced a decision to dedicate EUR 300,000 toward chemical spraying of the Zahorie area of western Slovakia. PM Fico then became enraged when a JOURNALIST asked him if the decision was related to a cottage Fico owned in the area (where the PM has been spending a lot of time lately due to persistent back problems). Seizing on the potential Katrina moment, SDKU opposition leader Mikulas Dzurinda said the Fico government was lacking in responsiveness and preparation, citing forecasts that the mosquito problem would be significantly higher this year. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) Heavy rains in late June and early July have contributed to the large mosquito problem now gripping residents of Slovakia. Rivers and lakes that were flooded have given way to large pockets of isolated, standing water, a particularly inviting environment for mosquitoes. With its numerous lakes and rivers, the Zahorie area just north of Bratislava has endured an especially high infestation level. Responding to pleas from local officials short on funds for chemical spraying, PM Fico called a press conference to announce that EUR 300,000 from the Government Reserve Fund will be set aside to fight the problem in Zahorie. ¶3. (U) In the question-and-answer session following the press conference, Fico became enraged when a JOURNALIST asked about a cottage the PM owned in Zahorie, connecting funds designated for anti-mosquito control with Fico's personal interests. Calling the JOURNALIST an "idiot," Fico said he would "insist on this expression" for the "rubbish" that has been published about him. ¶4. (SBU) The GOS and the opposition then became engaged in a tit-for-tat over the mosquito infestation as they lobbed one specious charge after another. SDKU Chairman Dzurinda said the GOS should have been better prepared as forecasts of the potential infestation existed in the spring (limitations on long-term weather forecasting notwithstanding). Dzurinda also claimed local mayors were unable to reach their regional environment offices because of the summer holiday season (a bureaucratic trend this time of year that transcends any particular government). ¶5. (SBU) For his part, Fico said he would have the Ministries of Environment and Agriculture work out ways to help local governments combat the problem. Predictably, the opposition looked to undercut the assistance by stating that the GOS should have been focused on prevention from the start. ¶6. (SBU) COMMENT: Though Fico swatted away pesky reporters' questions on an issue he considers "banal" (the PM's usual reaction to issues of government inaction brought to his attention by the press),the mosquito brouhaha succinctly captures the hostility the GOS exhibits toward the press and the antagonism between the GOS and the opposition as we have previously reported. END COMMENT. EDDINS