Maverick Sulík

The first steps op the new coalition's ministers of Ms Radičová's team, when entering their respective departments, were accompanied with the expected confrontation of dodgy contracts surfacing, proving the total mismanagement of the previous government. The awe to see contracts have been signed even a few days after the elections in great haste, is a sign of what Fico's looters' gang was all about. We sigh with great relief that although perhaps even a bit late, but at least some responsible government is now steering the rudder.

Until an acquaintance of mine tipped me, about a newly established "Ltd" company, where all the shareholders happen to be one of the coalition partners, including the Speaker of Parliament. At first, when viewing the online registration details, I could not believe my eyes. 

The chairman of the parliament, Mr Richard Sulík, amazingly rose from being a business manager into active politics, being wary of the previous cabinet's blunt squandering, as an economically practical person (a propos, even being a consultant to the finance minister for a while) he was showing his main interest in bringing back decency and transparency into politics. On of the his Sloboda a Solidarita (Freedom and Solidarity) party's motto's was, to return trust to the public.

Some slight faults have occurred her and there, but I thought, let this chap give a chance. Perhaps this Ltd company was intended for a plausible practical use... But alas: Mr Sulík innocently - at least so it appeared - that it would be only used to rent offices to its own party (plus some liberal institutes) at a fair price. Then my breath suddenly stalled.

Ms Radičová has immediately responded, that this would be unacceptable (in my opinion correct), since the political party is financed state the state - tax payer's money - and they have their proper offices in parliament itself. Such a construction is obviously a way of collecting public money into their own treasure-chest.

The impertinence here, and perhaps Mr Sulík is either completely ignorant or sly, that although the law explicitly does not forbid it (and there are enough badly written laws that give enough room for corruption), the frequently repeated intention of a new transparent culture is swiped off the table in one blow; one can even call it a slap in the face of those who expected change. Mr Sulík, instead of apologising, even defended his decision, which makes him hardly any better that those whom he so heavily criticised. Done in naivety? I begin to seriously doubt it.

Mr Sulík is indeed a maverick and perhaps indeed a risk to the coalition,as well as the democratisation process in general. Time will tell, and maybe things will not turn so bad after all, but the trust has definitively gone. 

MS