“I’m sorry that this topic is coming back right now, when Progressive Slovakia’s percentages are falling. I consider it unfair. We will do what we said last year – we will go to the elections independently, we will fight for voters and offer economic solutions,” says the chairman SaS BRANISLAV GRÖHLING in an interview that took place on the day when his party expelled long-time member and prominent face Jana Bittó Cigániková.
A critic would ask if someone in your party could have a different opinion.
He can have a different opinion, and I also tolerate a different opinion, even within the framework of individual draft laws or measures that we have. We discuss this in a really significant way internally.
And then a decision will be made inside, and we will all stand up for that decision. Unfortunately, in the last nine months, I no longer notice this with Ms. Cigániková.
If I made a decision in August of last year regarding Richard Sulík that he would not be on the candidate list, that is my authority. The criticism that came from Mrs. Cigániková is her freedom of speech. Even when there was a proposal to expel Mrs. Cigániková last year, I said no.
Yes, you said you wouldn’t throw her out, that she could leave if she wanted to. So what changed?
Because at that time it was a criticism within my decision. Only over time did it start to turn into a criticism of the direction of the party, its members and our identity.
According to Mrs. Cigániková, we are no longer right-wing or we do not defend the things that she would like to defend. But I set some direction of the party, I got a mandate from our members. That mandate was reaffirmed to me at the congress.
I assumed that Mrs. Cigániková would perceive it as a request from the members. That it’s not just my personal setting. But she doesn’t see it that way and continues to comment – primarily towards the party. Members assessed that it damages the good name of the party. They gave this proposal and it is on the Republican Council.
Just as I said at the time that I vetoed it and that we would not vote on the expulsion of Mrs. Cigániková, so after those nine months of constant criticism of the party, its direction, values and setting, I said OK, let’s vote and see how it turns out.
As a result, he also leaves the parliamentary club, which means you have one less deputy. Mrs. Cigániková says that although the party has had a program of separation of church and state for 15 years, you forbade her to communicate on these topics. He also talks about abortions or conscientious objection in a similar way. So these are no longer topics of liberal SaS?
They are. They are and will be in the program for the right-wing SaS. I also tell our colleagues that we have different things in the programs that determine our identity.
But for me it is important to look with common sense at how the future coalition can be formed. Future stable government. And how can we give people hope that we can manage the country.
So you do it for KDHam I understanding this correctly?
No, I do it for Slovakia. I’m doing it for people, so that we can finally shift the topics that divide us a little and focus on those that unite us.
That is the standard of living of the people. For me, it is very important that the family and every single person can pay mortgage. To be able to pay for their needs within the family. So that they can go to vacation. So that they can earn money. So that on the twentieth of the month they are not stressed about whether they will be paid. This is important to me. And that’s why I want to focus on it.
If other topics are supposed to divide us, then I do not agree with that. I do not agree that our press conferences should be about hatred without solutions. And let it be hatred towards anyone, including believers. That’s why I stopped this press conference.
It seems as if you want to differentiate yourself from Progressive Slovakia, which also has these liberal value themes. Where does SaS actually stand now under your leadership? You said in an interview for Postoj that you are a conservative hipster. That you don’t want to offend the faithful, that you will go on a pilgrimage to Šaštín with your friends, and you also said that as long as you preside over the SaS, you will never want to interfere with the confessional secret. Does that apply?
It applies.
Today, we are in a state where a priest who is told by another priest colleague that he is abusing small children does not have to report it to the police. And this is part of the KBS guidelines for child abuse and sexual harassment, where confessional secrecy is superior to the civil legal order. Is this ok?
That’s not okay. But how do you change it now? We can talk here as Mrs. Cigániková sent a message to our members two days ago that she would like a press conference about opening the Vatican treaties. Is this the problem we want to solve now? I understand that you will tell me that you are working on this topic.
(source: Zuzana Kovačič Hanzelová, Tomáš Rybár)
No, I will tell you that that is one of the problems. And the question is not that you either solve the economy or this. It’s not either or.
Okay, one of the problems. But I am comprehensively dedicated to ensuring that people in Slovakia have a better life. And if we are going to open the Vatican Treaty, how are we going to open it?
Because the ideas were, for example, to take it to the Constitutional Court. You cannot submit it to the Constitutional Court, because the treaty has already been ratified. The Constitution, based on Article 125, no longer allows you to do this.
This is not comparable to the Czech Republic, which is being argued about now. You can initiate a meeting and discuss individual matters.
Okay, let’s do it. I am also completely OK with having some form of property settlement for same-sex couples or registered or life partnerships. I will be one of the happiest and a certain circle of my friends will be very happy.
But I look with common sense at the priorities that I want to ensure in this country, and I want people to live well. Because when people live well, it won’t matter at all if the neighbor is looking at the couple who lives next door, and won’t decide whether their property matters are settled. This is important to me.
To finally give the people of Slovakia hope that we know how to manage the country, that there will be peace, that we will take care that they have enough money and know how to handle all the problems they have. And then let’s deal with all these other things that you mentioned. I’m in favor.
How long have queer people been hearing that “and then”?
A very long time. But then I would ask all these people, also their surroundings, friends and others, to vote for parties that know how to enforce such things. I will be happiest when, for example, the future coalition is a coalition of SaS and PS. A lot of things would be solved in this issue.
When you look at the polls, they say that KDH must be there, too OĽaNOalso Democrats. And now you think that when two parties support such measures, they will say that there will be no government because three others are against it, so what will we do? Shall we say let Fico 5 be here?
In this case, I choose that I want people to live well. Because I am convinced that when people live well, it will be much easier to solve other problems.
What is this false dilemma? That we either want families to be well and prosper economically, or are we dealing with issues of value? After all, you are supposed to go into the election contest saying: these are our values.
I say what is important to me. I say what is important for SaS. For us, the priority will be the standard of living and that people have more money in their wallets.
I will go before the citizens with this offer to get a mandate. I am convinced that after those 30 years, when there were primarily leftists who robbed and corrupted this country, we would finally need a strong and distinct right-wing party in the government. This is my offer.
And when we solve this, I will also support my colleagues in all other matters. I will also support Progressive Slovakia, KDH, Democrats or OĽaNO. I will be glad. And I believe that they, in turn, will support the specific economic proposals that we give. Flat tax, zero tax on reinvested profit for entrepreneurs, lower tax and levy burden, abolition of transaction tax.
Mrs. Cigániková claims that you are acting this way in relation to the Vatican treaties because you are a close friend of the president of the Bishops’ Conference of Slovakia. Do you know Mr. Bober in any special way?
