Slovakia: new minister facing opposition
Denisa Saková is to take over as Slovakia's minister of the interior following the resignation of Tomáš Drucker, who was only in office for a short time. However Saková is widely regarded as the right-hand woman of Drucker's predecessor, who was forced to step down after the murder of journalist Ján Kuciak. Roughly a month after the formation of a new Slovakian government the old system is back in charge, commentators complain.
This embarassing game must come to an end
The desired changeover of ministers is a joke, writes Aktuality.sk, the website for which Kuciak worked until he was killed:
“Although ex-prime minister Robert Fico has officially been neutralised the country continues to be governed by an oligarchic system dressed up in new clothes. There is effectively zero leeway for changes and above all purges in the police force. There are just two options: either we complain constantly about the figures who represent Fico, former minister of the interior Kaliňák or former police chief Gašpar like dummies. Or we table the topic of new elections once more.”
No trace of crediblity anymore
The editor-in-chief of Sme, Beata Balogová, also has harsh words for the proposed new minister who was formerly ex-interior minister Robert Kaliňák's right hand:
“[Fico's party] Smer renders terms like expertise and credibility meaningless. All it wants from its candidates is loyalty to the party. Above all when it comes to positions that are meant to protect the leadership syndicate. Fico argues that Smer has the right to propose the candidate for the interior ministry because it belongs to the party. Naturally he means this literally. The choice of Saková is an expression of the party's unmistakable self-confidence and Fico's conviction that nothing really needs to be changed. Until he returns and shows everyone what he's capable of. The public must learn from this.”