A pro-European Eurosceptic

The Slovak government made a final decision in parliament, that a loan to save Greece's neck from the economic debacle. Concurrently, it however accepted support to a eurozone safety net. This morning's newspapers are full of the news, how Europe is displeased with the outcome.

What is slightly disturbing is the fact, that some foreign newspapers were generalising too much, announcing a total refusal to support the eurozone safety net. No, the issue was, that only the Greek credit was annulled. In addition, the situation in which Slovakia ended thanks to comrade Fico's squandering, has been communicated for many weeks with Brussels. 

When the current Ministers of Finance, Mr Ivan Mikloš, spent two and a half hour of hard meeting in Brussels, where does this surprise as aired by Olli Rehn then come from?

Slovakia namely cannot afford a bail-out for a richer country like Greece, who in fact has caused this lapse of budget management themselves. An overall solidarity is fine, but using psychological blackmail at a small country, whose previous leaders have made the state deficit shoot through the allowed Maastricht ceiling, is far from reasonable. The current government's decision is objectively speaking the wisest.

Brussels is aware of that, so stop these crocodile tears; when dealing with serious state budget failures, it is a bit of a poor taste, that overpaid EU officials remind a robbed Slovak on his duty do have solidarity. This way, even my pro-European attitude slightly starts turning into becoming a Eurosceptic.

Instead of using the "principle of solidarity" argument, let's start trying "common sense" first.

MS

Some decency please

The new government is taking its seats, cleaning up the numerous skeletons falling out of cabinets, and obviously this provides juicy news for newspapers. The daily newsreels are more of a comedy-soap rather than a parliamentary report on legislative issues. 

Obiously the out-voted former rulers are far from comfortable; whilst their dodgy business is painfully surfacing every day, they are trying to find for excuses, and when confronted verbal abuse is not too uncommon. 

Yesterda's topper was the fact, when deputy leader of the slightly neo-fascist nationalistic party SNS Anna Belousovová slapped one parliament member in the face, for referring to her as "Annie" in one of his articles. Her excuse - the colleague lacked basic politeness. A motherly slap apparently was an appropriate act. The parliament's chairman could not stop his bursts of laughter when answering journalists' inquiries in the matter.

On the onset, it might look like another silly act, but it has a sad undertone, which is illustrative for Slovak society: When even in parliament, vulgarities, drunkenness, physical slapping have been common, and are being met with shoulder-shrugging, then the democratic debates are seriously at risk: arguments (if existent) become empty phrases and the parliament, which is a countries legislative arena is turinng into an ordinary pub brawl.

One would expect, that at least the new politicians - who claimed to be unblemished and introducing a new culture - have some distinct decency (and I must say, a handful indeed have some grain of statesmanship in them). In all, the majority however needs still to learn the very basics. For goodness' sake: Some decency please!

MS

Facebook politicians

Naturally, openess, especially in politics is an admirable thing; especially after witnessing a government that tried to cover everything possible for the sole purpose to tunnel their financial profits for their own benefit. 

When reading this morning's headlines, where Mr Sulík vowed that his SaS party will not give up Facebook, not even during parliament sessions, initially it looked like a joke. No so. Indeed Mr Sulík's opinion is, that teh party "is not forgetting its voters" or that public has the right to be informed.

It can be argued, that informing your constituents is a noble resolve, but in all seriousness; twittering and facebooking during parliament sessions, looks to me like a bunch of teenage school-kids, who are bored during maths class.

Being a representative of your people is a serious task, which - and especially - during legislative processes is not to be devalued by activities like chit-chatting with your people. When doing so after the hearings or during the weekend, it's fine with me. Taken into consideration, that people in companies got fired because of surfing the internet during work hours, this is equally questionable. 

Seems, we have another naiveté of dear Richard Sulík.

MS

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